How do I say 'let me think'?
The natural thinking phrase — the doubled verb softens it, making it sound unhurried.
让我想想
Let me think / let me consider.
Let me think think.
Let me think / let me consider.
WHEN IT FITS
The doubled verb pattern (verb + verb) in Chinese often softens the action — making it lighter, more casual, and sometimes more non-committal:
- 想想 — light thinking, pondering. 让我想想 = let me mull it over. Less formal than 让我考虑一下.
- 考虑考虑 — the famous non-committal “I’ll think about it.” In sales and negotiation contexts, this is often the polite rejection. It keeps the door technically open while functionally closing it.
- 看一下 / 看看 — “take a look.” A browser in a store says 我看看 to signal they are not committing to buy.
The key insight: when a Chinese speaker doubles a verb in response to a proposal, they are often creating polite distance. The doubling makes the action feel casual and non-urgent. 我考虑考虑 is more likely to mean “probably not” than “I need time to think seriously.”
For genuine thinking that will lead to an answer: 让我想一下 or 我需要一点时间想一下 (I need a bit of time to think) is clearer than the doubled form.
HOW PEOPLE ACTUALLY SAY IT
那个地方叫什么来着？让我想想... 对了，叫西湖。
What's that place called again? Let me think... Right, it's called West Lake.
Recalling something你的提议挺好的，让我想想再回复你。
Your proposal sounds good — let me think about it before I get back to you.
Buying time on a decisionCHOOSE BY SITUATION
考虑考虑
I'll consider it / think it over.
Someone is offering you something and you may or may not want it — the doubled form is famously non-committal我想一下
I'll think for a moment.
Shorter, more casual — appropriate for quick recall rather than deep consideration