The preterite of mostrar is used to express a specific instance of showing something in the past. For example, you might say “I showed them the photos from my trip,” indicating a completed action at a particular moment.
This is a regular -ar verb that follows the standard preterite conjugation pattern. The endings are added directly to the stem ‘mostr-‘ without any modifications.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Mostrar (to show) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | mostré |
| Tú | mostraste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | mostró |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | mostramos |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | mostraron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Mostrar (to show) in the Preterite (Past) Tense to help you learn faster.
Pro Tip: Play the audio on a loop as you study the chart. This repetition will solidify the correct conjugations in your memory.
Usage of Mostrar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The preterite of mostrar indicates a specific instance of showing or displaying something in the past.
To show: Describes displaying or presenting something to others, for example, Me mostró las fotos de su viaje (He/she showed me the travel photos).
To demonstrate: Refers to proving or demonstrating something, for example, Mostró su talento en el concurso (He/she demonstrated their talent in the contest).
To reveal: Indicates revealing or exposing something, for example, Mostraron la verdad sobre el incidente (They revealed the truth about the incident).
Examples
Examples of Mostrar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Mostré las fotos de mis vacaciones. (I showed the photos from my vacation.)
¿Le mostraste el nuevo proyecto? (Did you show him/her the new project?)
El guía nos mostró la ciudad. (The guide showed us the city.)
Mostramos nuestro trabajo al profesor. (We showed our work to the teacher.)
Los artistas mostraron sus obras en la galería. (The artists showed their works in the gallery.)
Mostré mi nuevo apartamento a mis amigos. (I showed my new apartment to my friends.)
¿Le mostraste el camino al turista? (Did you show the tourist the way?)
El doctor mostró los resultados al paciente. (The doctor showed the results to the patient.)
Mostramos las pruebas en la reunión. (We showed the evidence in the meeting.)
Los estudiantes mostraron sus proyectos finales. (The students showed their final projects.)
Mostré mi identificación en la entrada. (I showed my ID at the entrance.)
La empresa mostró sus nuevos productos. (The company showed its new products.)
Mostramos interés en el nuevo proyecto. (We showed interest in the new project.)
Los científicos mostraron sus descubrimientos. (The scientists showed their discoveries.)
Mostré mi talento en el concurso. (I showed my talent in the contest.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Mostrar (to show) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo mostré | I showed |
| Tú mostraste | You showed |
| Él / Ella / Usted mostró | He / She / You showed |
| Nosotros / Nosotras mostramos | We showed |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes mostraron | They / You all showed |
This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here
Synonyms
The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.