The Imperfect Tense of Mostrar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example: Ella me mostraba sus fotos de vacaciones. (She used to show me her vacation photos.)

Mostrar is a regular -ar verb, so its Imperfect Tense conjugations follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Mostrar (to show) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

The imperfect tense of mostrar is used to describe ongoing, repeated or habitual actions in the past.

Describing an ongoing action: For example, Mostraba su talento en la pintura. (She was showing her talent in painting.)

Describing a repeated or habitual action: For example, Siempre me mostraba sus nuevos dibujos. (He would always show me his new drawings.)

Describing a past action without a specific beginning or end: For example, Mostraba mucha paciencia con los niños. (She showed a lot of patience with the children.)

Describing a background action: For example, Mientras mostraba las fotos, explicaba los detalles. (While she was showing the photos, she explained the details.)

Expressing a state or condition in the past: For example, La exposición mostraba una gran variedad de obras. (The exhibition showed a great variety of works.)

Expressing a desire or intention in the past: For example, Siempre mostraba interés en aprender nuevas técnicas. (She always showed interest in learning new techniques.)

Colloquial usage: For example, ¡Mostrá un poco de respeto! (Show some respect!)

Examples

Examples of Mostrar in the Imperfect Tense

Yo mostraba mi pasaporte al oficial de inmigración. (I was showing my passport to the immigration officer.)

Ella mostraba mucho interés en aprender sobre la cultura local. (She was showing a lot of interest in learning about the local culture.)

Nosotros mostrábamos nuestra gratitud al anfitrión por su hospitalidad. (We were showing our gratitude to the host for their hospitality.)

Tú mostrabas mucha paciencia al explicar las direcciones. (You were showing a lot of patience when explaining the directions.)

Ellos mostraban su emoción al ver los fuegos artificiales. (They were showing their excitement when seeing the fireworks.)

Yo mostraba mi tarjeta de identificación al guardia de seguridad. (I was showing my ID card to the security guard.)

Ella mostraba mucha dedicación en su trabajo. (She was showing a lot of dedication in her work.)

Nosotros mostrábamos nuestro apoyo al equipo local. (We were showing our support for the local team.)

Tú mostrabas mucha curiosidad por aprender sobre la historia del lugar. (You were showing a lot of curiosity about learning the history of the place.)

Ellos mostraban su talento en el escenario. (They were showing their talent on stage.)

Yo mostraba mi comprobante de pago al vendedor. (I was showing my proof of payment to the vendor.)

Ella mostraba mucha amabilidad al tratar con los clientes. (She was showing a lot of kindness when dealing with customers.)

Nosotros mostrábamos nuestro respeto por las tradiciones locales. (We were showing our respect for the local traditions.)

Tú mostrabas mucha habilidad al negociar el precio. (You were showing a lot of skill when negotiating the price.)

Ellos mostraban su preocupación por el medio ambiente. (They were showing their concern for the environment.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Mostrar (to show) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Imperfect tense is also known as the Past Imperfect, Descriptive Past, Past Progressive, or Imperfect Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Imperfecto, Copretérito, Imperfecto de Indicativo, or Pasado Descriptivo in Spanish.