mostrava

Mostrava is the imperfect indicative form of the Portuguese verb mostrar, meaning to show. It is used to describe past actions that were ongoing, habitual, or to set the scene when presenting information or objects in the past.

Etymology explains that mostrar comes from Latin monstrare, with cognates in other Romance languages such as Spanish mostrar and French montrer. The sense retained across these languages centers on presenting or demonstrating something to others.

In usage terms, the imperfect tense for mostrar includes forms such as eu mostrava, tu mostravas, ele mostrava, nós mostrávamos, vocês mostravam. The imperfect expresses ongoing or repeated past actions, background information, or descriptions of how something was demonstrated. It is often contrasted with the simple past (pretérito perfeito) to indicate duration or repetition rather than a completed event.

Examples of usage include: “Ela mostrava as fotos aos amigos,” meaning she was showing the photos to her friends; “O guia mostrava o caminho aos turistas,” meaning the guide was showing the way to the tourists; and “Eles mostravam orgulho ao apresentar os resultados,” meaning they used to show pride when presenting the results.

Related forms and notes: mostrar appears in other tenses such as mostrou (pretérito perfeito), mostrava (imperfect), vou mostrar (futuro), mostrando (gerúndio), and mostrado (participio). The verb is common in both Brazilian and European Portuguese, with minor regional variations in conjugation and usage.