思(おも)い付(つ)く

思(おも)い付(つ)く is a godan verb meaning to think of or come up with an idea, often suddenly.

Transitivity

• Type: 他動詞(たどうし) (transitive)
• Takes を for the idea thought of: いい考(かんが)えを思(おも)い付(つ)いた

Common patterns

• いい考(かんが)えを思(おも)い付(つ)く: to think of a good idea
• 急(きゅう)に思(おも)い付(つ)く: to suddenly occur to one
• 何(なに)か思(おも)い付(つ)いたら: if you think of something

Compounds

• 思(おも)い付(つ)き: a (sudden) idea, whim
• 思(おも)い付(つ)きで: on a whim

Similar words

• 思(おも)い出(だ)す: to remember, recall
• 気(き)が付(つ)く: to notice, realize
• 考(かんが)え付(つ)く: to think up, devise

ASPECT (ている):

• 思(おも)い付(つ)いている: has thought of / has an idea in mind (resultative state)
• Note: 思(おも)い付(つ)く is a punctual verb — the idea arrives in an instant. The ている form describes the resulting state of already having the idea, not the process of thinking. 何(なに)か思(おも)い付(つ)いている？ is more naturally "Do you have any ideas?" than "Are you in the middle of thinking one up?"