This is the 11566th most frequent Russian word.
думали
"Думали" means "thought" (past tense of "think" in plural form).
In this sentence, 'думали' is used to indicate the act of contemplating or foreseeing something, representing past continuous thinking.
Мы думали о будущем и строили планы.
We were thinking about the future and making plans.
Here, 'думали' reflects a belief or assumption about something, indicating the consideration of possibilities in the past.
Они думали, что экзамен будет сложным.
They thought that the exam would be difficult.
In this context, 'думали' implies an expectation or presumption regarding an event or behavior, showing past anticipations.