pensare bene

Italian

Etymology

Literally, “to think well”.

Verb

pensàre bene (first-person singular present pènso bene, first-person singular past historic pensài bene, past participle pensàto bene, auxiliary avére)

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see pensare,‎ bene.

   La posta in gioco è alta, allora pensaci bene.

   The stakes are high, so think it over carefully.

2. to think it better [+ di (object) = to]
   • 2013, chapter 3, in F. Scott Fitzgerald, translated by Ferruccio Russo, Il Grande Gatsby [The Great Gatsby], Edizioni Scientifiche e Artistiche, page 87:

     Ebbi anche una breve storia con una ragazza che viveva a Jersey City e lavorava in amministrazione, ma poi suo fratello cominciò a guardarmi di traverso e così, quando lei partì per le vacanze, a Luglio, pensai bene di lasciar perdere la faccenda.

     I even had a short affair with a girl who lived in Jersey City and worked in the accounting department, but her brother began throwing mean looks in my direction so when she went on her vacation in July I let it blow quietly away.

     (literally, “I even had a brief affair with a girl who lived in Jersey City and worked in administration, but then her brother started looking at me askance and so, when she left for vacation, in July, I thought it better to let the entire matter go.”)