The way you know a pear is ripe is when the tip of the pear is soft but the body of the pear is still firm. The reason is because pears ripen from the inside out. So if you wait until the entire pear is soft it will be overripe.

Pears often come underripe. It’s best to leave them on the counter for a week or two and check the pear tips periodically to see if they’re soft.