<p>It is "我还以为你是学生"</p>

<p>认为 (consider; think) can be in any tense</p>

<p>but 以为 already mean "(previously) thought"   </p>

<p><a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/815/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">还</a> is a common adverb with many meanings. In this case, it means 'even'</p>

<p>还以为 = '(even) thought'</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-13T00:27:03.993Z
Thanks. In this case if I add the past particle such as 过 or 了, is it grammatically wrong? Or what kind of impressions does it make?
Blaszard
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-13T00:36:17.107Z
还以为过 sounds awkward because 以为 already indicated 'previously thought' . 过  or 了 is redundant.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-15T06:01:25.153Z
过 or 了 is usually used with some **procedural** verb like 我吃过了, while '以为' (thought ... [which reveals to be wrong]) indicates a lasting **situation**. So that's another reason why 过 or 了 sounds not appropriate here.
Garlic Xu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-13T00:23:30.763Z
2018-01-13T00:23:30.763Z
Tang Ho
<p>The idiomatic ways in this situation: </p>

<ol>
<li>我(还)以为你是学生呢！</li>
<li>之前，我还以为你是学生呢！</li>
</ol>

<p>还 can be omitted. If you want to put an exclamation mark at the end, you'd better add 呢. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-13T06:37:58.517Z
2018-01-13T06:37:58.517Z
dan
<p>You need the subjunctive 'were' for this sentence in English, because the apparent state is not real, or you would not have said this.</p>

<p>I thought you were a student.<br>
我本来以为你是个学生。</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-13T03:29:43.337Z
2018-01-13T03:29:43.337Z
Pedroski
<p>Let's start with an example:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A: 你是学生吗？</p>
<p>B: 不是，我是老师。</p>
<p>C: I thought you are student!</p>
</blockquote>
<p><sub>Note that C is a different person from A.</sub></p>
<p>In this case, how can I say &quot;I thought...&quot;?</p>
<p>I know in Mandarin, you usually use an adverb or an adverbial phrase to express the past tense (e.g. 以前), but in this case, I don't know how I should express the past tense. At least I feel it is awkward to say 以前我认为你是学生.</p>
<p>Or maybe I should add 过 to say 我认为过你是学生, but I'm not sure and still feel a bit awkward...</p>
<p>If I say 我认为你是学生, I feel like the person C thinks the person B is lying and is actually a student. This may lead to the misunderstanding, I think.</p>
<p>So how should I express the past tense in these cases?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-13T00:11:38.313Z
It is "我还以为你是学生"
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-13T00:14:47.053Z
@TangHo Does it not mean "I still think you are a student."? Anyway don't hesitate to write it as an answer, thanks.
Blaszard
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-13T00:16:47.463Z
以为 w/o any 动态助词 like 过，see dictionary examples (e.g. bkrs) for 以为: 人们以为我迷路了。 People thought I had lost my way，我以为你是学生 also see previous comparison of
认为／以为
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-13T00:20:55.513Z
@user6065 Ah you are right, in Pleco the example sentence has: 我还以为是她呢。 means "I had thought it was her.". But then why is 还 needed here? Looking up the entry for 还 doesn't get me anything related to the past tense usage...
Blaszard
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-13T00:26:35.763Z
it seems 还 is used to make the statement clearer, more unmistakable, users might look at previous discussions of
all the meanings and uses of 还
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-13T00:47:09.680Z
it could correspond to "and I thought",see Webster's dictionary:  and 2a—used as a function word to express logical modification, consequence, antithesis, or supplementary explanation
user6065
<grammar><past-tense>
How to say "I thought you are..." to a response?
# How to say "I thought you are..." to a response?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-01-12)

Let's start with an example:

> A: 你是学生吗？
>
> B: 不是，我是老师。
>
> C: I thought you are student!

Note that C is a different person from A.

In this case, how can I say "I thought..."?

I know in Mandarin, you usually use an adverb or an adverbial phrase to express the past tense (e.g. 以前), but in this case, I don't know how I should express the past tense. At least I feel it is awkward to say 以前我认为你是学生.

Or maybe I should add 过 to say 我认为过你是学生, but I'm not sure and still feel a bit awkward...

If I say 我认为你是学生, I feel like the person C thinks the person B is lying and is actually a student. This may lead to the misunderstanding, I think.

So how should I express the past tense in these cases?

**Tags:** grammar, past-tense

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It is "我还以为你是学生"  
> **username_0**: @TangHo Does it not mean "I still think you are a student."? Anyway don't hesitate to write it as an answer, thanks.  
> **username_2**: 以为 w/o any 动态助词 like 过，see dictionary examples (e.g. bkrs) for 以为: 人们以为我迷路了。 People thought I had lost my way，我以为你是学生 also see previous comparison of 认为／以为  
> **username_0**: @username_2 Ah you are right, in Pleco the example sentence has: 我还以为是她呢。 means "I had thought it was her.". But then why is 还 needed here? Looking up the entry for 还 doesn't get me anything related to the past tense usage...  
> **username_2**: it seems 还 is used to make the statement clearer, more unmistakable, users might look at previous discussions of all the meanings and uses of 还  
> **username_2**: it could correspond to "and I thought",see Webster's dictionary:  and 2a—used as a function word to express logical modification, consequence, antithesis, or supplementary explanation  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-01-13. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

It is "我还以为你是学生"

认为 (consider; think) can be in any tense

but 以为 already mean "(previously) thought"

[还](http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/815/) is a common adverb with many meanings. In this case, it means 'even'

还以为 = '(even) thought'

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks. In this case if I add the past particle such as 过 or 了, is it grammatically wrong? Or what kind of impressions does it make?  
> **username_1**: 还以为过 sounds awkward because 以为 already indicated 'previously thought' . 过  or 了 is redunusername_4t.  
> **username_3**: 过 or 了 is usually used with some **procedural** verb like 我吃过了, while '以为' (thought ... [which reveals to be wrong]) indicates a lasting **situation**. So that's another reason why 过 or 了 sounds not appropriate here.  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2018-01-13. Score: 1

The idiomatic ways in this situation:

1. 我(还)以为你是学生呢！
2. 之前，我还以为你是学生呢！

还 can be omitted. If you want to put an exclamation mark at the end, you'd better add 呢.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2018-01-13. Score: 1

You need the subjunctive 'were' for this sentence in English, because the apparent state is not real, or you would not have said this.

I thought you were a student.  
我本来以为你是个学生。


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