mostrar — Spanish conjugation

to show

Frequency#106IrregularReflexivemostrarse — to show oneself

Indicative

Present (Presente) Irregular

The present tense is the most versatile tense in Spanish. It covers actions happening right now, habitual actions, and even near-future plans. One form does the work of three English constructions.

Ella habla inglés — She speaks / is speaking English

PronounSpanishEnglish
yomuestroI show
muestrasyou show
vosmostrásyou show
él/ella/Ud.muestrahe/she/it shows
nosotrosmostramoswe show
vosotrosmostráisyou (pl.) show
ellos/ellas/Uds.muestranthey show

Preterite (Pretérito indefinido) Regular

Used for completed past actions with a defined endpoint — a single event, a series of events, or an action that interrupted another. Common with time expressions like ayer, el lunes, una vez.

Ella habló de ti ayer — She spoke about you yesterday

PronounSpanishEnglish
yomostréI showed
mostrasteyou showed
vosmostrasteyou showed
él/ella/Ud.mostróhe/she/it showed
nosotrosmostramoswe showed
vosotrosmostrasteisyou (pl.) showed
ellos/ellas/Uds.mostraronthey showed

Imperfect (Pretérito imperfecto) Regular

Describes ongoing or habitual past states — what things were like, background context, what used to happen. Contrasts with the preterite which marks completed events.

Cuando era niño vivía en Valencia — When I was a child I lived in Valencia

PronounSpanish
yomostraba
mostrabas
vosmostrabas
él/ella/Ud.mostraba
nosotrosmostrábamos
vosotrosmostrabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.mostraban

Conditional (Condicional) Regular

Expresses hypothetical actions, polite requests, and what would happen under certain conditions. Also used for reported speech about the future from a past perspective.

¿Podrías ayudarme? — Could you help me?

PronounSpanishEnglish
yomostraríaI would show
mostraríasyou would show
vosmostraríasyou would show
él/ella/Ud.mostraríahe/she/it would show
nosotrosmostraríamoswe would show
vosotrosmostraríaisyou (pl.) would show
ellos/ellas/Uds.mostraríanthey would show

Future (Futuro) Regular

Expresses future actions, predictions, and probability about the present. Formed with the full infinitive as stem for most verbs. In spoken Spanish, ir a + infinitive is often preferred for near future.

Ella hablará en conferencia mañana — She will speak at the conference tomorrow

PronounSpanishEnglish
yomostraréI will show
mostrarásyou will show
vosmostrarásyou will show
él/ella/Ud.mostraráhe/she/it will show
nosotrosmostraremoswe will show
vosotrosmostraréisyou (pl.) will show
ellos/ellas/Uds.mostraránthey will show

Present perfect (Pretérito perfecto) Regular

A compound past tense linking a past action to the present moment — something that has happened and still feels recent or relevant. More common in Spain than Latin America where preterite is preferred.

Hoy he hablado con el jefe — Today I have spoken with the boss

PronounSpanishEnglish
yohe mostradoI have shown
has mostradoyou have shown
voshas mostradoyou have shown
él/ella/Ud.ha mostradohe/she/it has shown
nosotroshemos mostradowe have shown
vosotroshabéis mostradoyou (pl.) have shown
ellos/ellas/Uds.han mostradothey have shown

Pluperfect (Pretérito pluscuamperfecto) Regular

The past of the past — describes an action that was already completed before another past event happened. Always implies a reference point in the past.

Ya había hablado cuando llegaste — She had already spoken when you arrived

PronounSpanishEnglish
yohabía mostradoI had shown
habías mostradoyou had shown
voshabías mostradoyou had shown
él/ella/Ud.había mostradohe/she/it had shown
nosotroshabíamos mostradowe had shown
vosotroshabíais mostradoyou (pl.) had shown
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían mostradothey had shown

Conditional perfect (Condicional perfecto) Regular

Expresses what would have happened — actions that were possible but did not occur, or regrets about the past. Formed with conditional of haber + past participle.

Habría hablado, pero no me dejaron — I would have spoken, but they did not let me

PronounSpanish
yohabría mostrado
habrías mostrado
voshabrías mostrado
él/ella/Ud.habría mostrado
nosotroshabríamos mostrado
vosotroshabríais mostrado
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrían mostrado

Future perfect (Futuro perfecto) Regular

Describes an action that will have been completed by a certain point in the future, or expresses probability about a recent past action.

Para el lunes habré terminado — By Monday I will have finished

PronounSpanishEnglish
yohabré mostradoI will have shown
habrás mostradoyou will have shown
voshabrás mostradoyou will have shown
él/ella/Ud.habrá mostradohe/she/it will have shown
nosotroshabremos mostradowe will have shown
vosotroshabréis mostradoyou (pl.) will have shown
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán mostradothey will have shown

Subjunctive

Present subjunctive (Subjuntivo presente) Irregular

Used in subordinate clauses after expressions of desire, doubt, emotion, necessity, or impersonal statements. Triggered by a change of subject between the main and subordinate clause.

Espero que hable — I hope she speaks

PronounSpanish
yomuestre
muestres
vosmuestres
él/ella/Ud.muestre
nosotrosmostremos
vosotrosmostréis
ellos/ellas/Uds.muestren

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra) (Subjuntivo imperfecto (-ra)) Regular

The past subjunctive used after past main verbs, in if-clauses with conditional, and for polite softening. The -ra form is more common in everyday speech than the -se form.

Si pudiera, lo haría — If I could, I would do it

PronounSpanish
yomostrara
mostraras
vosmostraras
él/ella/Ud.mostrara
nosotrosmostráramos
vosotrosmostrarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.mostraran

Imperfect subjunctive (-se) (Subjuntivo imperfecto (-se)) Regular

The alternative past subjunctive form. Interchangeable with -ra in most contexts but slightly more literary or formal. Both forms are grammatically correct in all regions.

Si pudiese, lo haría — If I could, I would do it

PronounSpanish
yomostrase
mostrases
vosmostrases
él/ella/Ud.mostrase
nosotrosmostrásemos
vosotrosmostraseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.mostrasen

Perfect subjunctive (Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo) Regular

A compound subjunctive that expresses completed actions in a subjunctive context — used after present or future main verbs expressing doubt, emotion or desire.

Dudo que ya haya llegado — I doubt she has already arrived

PronounSpanish
yohaya mostrado
hayas mostrado
voshayas mostrado
él/ella/Ud.haya mostrado
nosotroshayamos mostrado
vosotroshayáis mostrado
ellos/ellas/Uds.hayan mostrado

Pluperfect subjunctive (Pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo) Regular

Expresses what had happened in hypothetical or unreal past contexts — the subjunctive equivalent of the pluperfect. Common in contrary-to-fact past conditions.

Si hubiera hablado, lo habrían creído — If she had spoken, they would have believed her

PronounSpanish
yohubiera mostrado
hubieras mostrado
voshubieras mostrado
él/ella/Ud.hubiera mostrado
nosotroshubiéramos mostrado
vosotroshubierais mostrado
ellos/ellas/Uds.hubieran mostrado

Other forms

Imperative (affirmative) (Imperativo afirmativo) Irregular

Direct commands and instructions. The imperative only exists for tú, usted, nosotros, vosotros and ustedes — yo has no command form. Affirmative and negative forms use different conjugations.

Habla más despacio — Speak more slowly

PronounSpanish
muestra
vosmostrá
él/ella/Ud.muestre
nosotrosmostremos
vosotrosmostrad
ustedesmuestren

Imperative (negative) (Imperativo negativo) Regular

Negative commands use the subjunctive forms for all persons. Formed with no + present subjunctive. This applies to all persons including tú where the affirmative uses a different form.

No hables tan rápido — Do not speak so fast

PronounSpanish
no muestres
vosno muestres
él/ella/Ud.no muestre
nosotrosno mostremos
vosotrosno mostréis
ustedesno muestren

Present progressive (Presente progresivo) Regular

Emphasises that an action is happening right now at this very moment. Less common than in English since the present tense already covers ongoing actions in Spanish.

Estoy hablando contigo — I am speaking with you

PronounSpanish
yoestoy mostrando
estás mostrando
vosestás mostrando
él/ella/Ud.está mostrando
nosotrosestamos mostrando
vosotrosestáis mostrando
ellos/ellas/Uds.están mostrando

Preterite progressive (Pretérito indefinido progresivo) Regular

Describes an action that was in progress throughout a completed past period. Uses the preterite of estar + gerund to emphasise the ongoing nature within a defined timeframe.

Estuvo hablando toda la tarde — He was talking all afternoon

PronounSpanish
yoestuve mostrando
estuviste mostrando
vosestuviste mostrando
él/ella/Ud.estuvo mostrando
nosotrosestuvimos mostrando
vosotrosestuvisteis mostrando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estuvieron mostrando

Imperfect progressive (Pretérito imperfecto progresivo) Regular

Emphasises an ongoing background action using the imperfect of estar + gerund. Layered on top of the imperfect which already conveys continuity — used for extra emphasis on the progressive nature.

Estaba hablando cuando entró — I was speaking when he came in

PronounSpanish
yoestaba mostrando
estabas mostrando
vosestabas mostrando
él/ella/Ud.estaba mostrando
nosotrosestábamos mostrando
vosotrosestabais mostrando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estaban mostrando

Conditional progressive (Condicional progresivo) Regular

Expresses what would be in progress under hypothetical conditions. Uses the conditional of estar + gerund. Less common but used for emphasis on the ongoing nature of a hypothetical action.

Estaría hablando ahora si pudiera — I would be speaking now if I could

PronounSpanish
yoestaría mostrando
estarías mostrando
vosestarías mostrando
él/ella/Ud.estaría mostrando
nosotrosestaríamos mostrando
vosotrosestaríais mostrando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estarían mostrando

Future progressive (Futuro progresivo) Regular

Describes an action that will be in progress at a future point, or expresses probability about an ongoing present action. Uses the future of estar + gerund.

Mañana a esta hora estaré viajando — At this time tomorrow I will be travelling

PronounSpanish
yoestaré mostrando
estarás mostrando
vosestarás mostrando
él/ella/Ud.estará mostrando
nosotrosestaremos mostrando
vosotrosestaréis mostrando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estarán mostrando