The Imperfect Tense of Mostrar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Yo mostraba las fotos a mis amigos. (I was showing the photos to my friends.)

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

Conjugations

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

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

Describing an ongoing action in the past: For example, Mostraba mi colección de sellos a mis amigos. (I was showing my stamp collection to my friends.)

Describing a repeated or habitual action in the past: For example, Cada verano, mi tío nos mostraba cómo pescar. (Every summer, my uncle would show us how to fish.)

Expressing a state or condition in the past: For example, La guía mostraba mucha paciencia con los turistas. (The guide showed a lot of patience with the tourists.)

Expressing an action interrupted in the past: For example, Mostraba las fotos cuando de repente se apagó la luz. (I was showing the photos when suddenly the lights went out.)

Expressing an action in progress at a specific time in the past: For example, A las 3 de la tarde, mostraba mi nuevo proyecto a mis compañeros. (At 3 in the afternoon, I was showing my new project to my colleagues.)

Colloquial usage: For example, ¡Mostraba unas piernas de infarto! (She was showing some killer legs!)

Examples

Examples of Mostrar in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, mi abuela siempre mostraba su amor por la cocina. (When she was a child, my grandmother always showed her love for cooking.)

El guía mostraba los lugares más interesantes de la ciudad a los turistas. (The guide showed the most interesting places in the city to the tourists.)

En la reunión, el jefe mostraba las gráficas de ventas a todo el equipo. (In the meeting, the boss showed the sales charts to the whole team.)

Antes de la pandemia, los artistas mostraban su talento en conciertos y festivales. (Before the pandemic, artists showed their talent in concerts and festivals.)

Mis padres mostraban su preocupación por mi futuro profesional. (My parents showed their concern for my professional future.)

El profesor mostraba ejemplos prácticos para que los estudiantes entendieran mejor el tema. (The teacher showed practical examples so that the students could better understand the topic.)

La actriz mostraba su versatilidad al interpretar diferentes papeles. (The actress showed her versatility by playing different roles.)

El equipo de fútbol mostraba su determinación en cada partido. (The soccer team showed their determination in every game.)

Vosotros mostrabais mucho interés en aprender sobre la cultura local. (You showed a lot of interest in learning about the local culture.)

Ellos mostraban su pasión por el arte en cada una de sus obras. (They showed their passion for art in each of their works.)

Tú mostrabas mucha paciencia al enseñar a los niños. (You showed a lot of patience when teaching the children.)

Nosotros mostrábamos nuestro apoyo a los derechos humanos en las manifestaciones. (We showed our support for human rights in the protests.)

Ella mostraba su habilidad para resolver problemas complejos. (She showed her ability to solve complex problems.)

Ustedes mostraban su compromiso con el cuidado del medio ambiente. (You showed your commitment to caring for the environment.)

Yo mostraba mi gratitud a mis mentores por su guía y apoyo. (I showed my gratitude to my mentors for their guidance and support.)

Conjugations with English Translations

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

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American 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.