Exhibir Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

exhibir means “to exhibit” in English, and this page shows you how it actually sounds in everyday Spanish — not just the conjugation table, but the verb in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make with it. Exhibir means to exhibit or to display, and it is used for museums showing art, shops displaying products and people showing off something. It is a fully regular -ir verb, slightly formal in tone. Below you will find twelve example sentences grouped by tense, two short dialogues, the most common mistakes with corrections, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. If you want the full tables first, start with the full conjugation of exhibir; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the exhibir present tense page.

exhibir in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present tense

  1. Yo exhibo la colección en el museo. — “I exhibit the collection in the museum.”
  2. Él exhibe sus obras en la galería. — “He exhibits my works in the gallery.”
  3. Nosotros exhibimos el producto nuevo en la feria. — “We exhibit the new product at the fair.”
  4. Ellos exhiben el trofeo en la vitrina. — “They exhibit the trophy in the display case.”

In the past

  1. Ayer, yo exhibí sus obras en la galería. — “Yesterday, I exhibited my works in the gallery.”
  2. Antes, nosotros exhibíamos el producto nuevo en la feria. — “Before, we used to exhibit the new product at the fair.”
  3. Él exhibió el trofeo en la vitrina. — “He exhibited the trophy in the display case.”
  4. Yo ya había exhibido la colección en el museo antes de salir. — “I had already exhibited the collection in the museum before leaving.”

Plans, hopes and possibilities

  1. Mañana, tú exhibirás la colección en el museo. — “Tomorrow, you will exhibit the collection in the museum.”
  2. Yo exhibiría sus obras en la galería si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would exhibit my works in the gallery if I had more time.”
  3. Él ha exhibido el producto nuevo en la feria. — “He has exhibited the new product at the fair.”
  4. Espero que él exhiba el trofeo en la vitrina. — “I hope he exhibits the trophy in the display case.”

exhibir in conversation

Two short dialogues that use exhibir the way people really speak it. Notice how the verb changes with the person, and how the same verb fits different situations.

Two friends talk about their day.

  • Ana: Yo exhibo la colección en el museo. — “I exhibit the collection in the museum.”
  • Bea: Él exhibe sus obras en la galería. — “He exhibits my works in the gallery.”
  • Ana: Ayer, yo exhibí sus obras en la galería. — “Yesterday, I exhibited my works in the gallery.”
  • Bea: Mañana, tú exhibirás la colección en el museo. — “Tomorrow, you will exhibit the collection in the museum.”

At home, talking about tomorrow.

  • Luis: Nosotros exhibimos el producto nuevo en la feria. — “We exhibit the new product at the fair.”
  • Marta: Antes, nosotros exhibíamos el producto nuevo en la feria. — “Before, we used to exhibit the new product at the fair.”
  • Luis: Yo exhibiría sus obras en la galería si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would exhibit my works in the gallery if I had more time.”
  • Marta: Espero que él exhiba el trofeo en la vitrina. — “I hope he exhibits the trophy in the display case.”

A short scene with exhibir

A short scene shows how exhibir works across the day. In the morning: Exhibo la colección en el museo. In the afternoon: Exhibe sus obras en la galería. Yesterday it was different: Ayer, exhibí el producto nuevo en la feria. And tomorrow: Mañana, exhibiré el trofeo en la vitrina. Four small moments, four tenses, one verb — that is how exhibir sounds in real life. Try changing the person in each sentence: say it about yourself, about a friend, and about your family, and the forms will start to feel automatic.

Common mistakes with exhibir

The errors learners actually make with exhibir, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.

✗ Yo exhibe la colección en el museo.

✓ Correct: Yo exhibo la colección en el museo.

The person matters: exhibe is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is exhibo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.

✗ Ayer yo exhibo sus obras en la galería.

✓ Correct: Ayer yo exhibí sus obras en la galería.

The present and the preterite are different tenses: exhibo is happening now, while exhibí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.

✗ Treating exhibir and mostrar as identical in every context.

✓ Correct: Exhibir means to exhibit, while mostrar means to show.

They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: exhibir fits sentences such as Exhibo la colección en el museo, while mostrar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.

✗ Yo soy exhibido sus obras en la galería.

✓ Correct: Yo he exhibido sus obras en la galería.

Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he exhibido, has exhibido, ha exhibido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.

✗ De niño, yo exhibí el producto nuevo en la feria todos los días.

✓ Correct: De niño, yo exhibía el producto nuevo en la feria todos los días.

For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (exhibía), not the preterite. The preterite (exhibí) is for one finished action.

Quiz: exhibir in use

Ten questions on exhibir — its forms, its tenses and its everyday use. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below, where every answer is explained.

1. Complete the sentence: Él ______ sus obras en la galería. — “He/she exhibits my works in the gallery.”

  • a) exhibe
  • b) exhibo
  • c) exhibes
  • d) exhibimos

2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ______ el producto nuevo en la feria. — “Yesterday, I exhibited the new product at the fair.”

  • a) exhibiste
  • b) exhibió
  • c) exhibieron
  • d) exhibí

3. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ el trofeo en la vitrina cuando eran jóvenes. — “They used to exhibit the trophy in the display case when they were young.”

  • a) exhibías
  • b) exhibíamos
  • c) exhibían
  • d) exhibía

4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, nosotros ______ la colección en el museo. — “Tomorrow, we will exhibit the collection in the museum.”

  • a) exhibirán
  • b) exhibiremos
  • c) exhibiré
  • d) exhibirás

5. Complete the sentence: Él ______ sus obras en la galería si pudiera. — “He would exhibit my works in the gallery if he could.”

  • a) exhibiría
  • b) exhibirías
  • c) exhibiríamos
  • d) exhibo

6. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ el producto nuevo en la feria. — “I have exhibited the new product at the fair.”

  • a) has exhibido
  • b) ha exhibido
  • c) han exhibido
  • d) he exhibido

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que tú ______ el trofeo en la vitrina. — “I hope you exhibit the trophy in the display case.”

  • a) exhibamos
  • b) exhibo
  • c) exhibas
  • d) exhiba

8. Which is the past participle of exhibir, used with haber in the perfect tenses?

  • a) exhibí
  • b) exhibido
  • c) exhibiendo
  • d) exhibo

9. What does exhibir mean in English?

  • a) to exhibit
  • b) to show
  • c) to film
  • d) to illustrate

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • a) Él exhibe sus obras en la galería.
  • b) Él exhibo sus obras en la galería.
  • c) Nosotros exhibe el producto nuevo en la feria.
  • d) Yo exhibe la colección en el museo.

Answer key

  1. a) exhibe — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the present: exhibe.

  2. d) exhibí — The sentence needs the yo form in the preterite: exhibí, for one finished action yesterday.

  3. c) exhibían — The sentence needs the ellos/ellas form in the imperfect: exhibían, for a repeated past habit.

  4. b) exhibiremos — The sentence needs the nosotros form in the future: exhibiremos.

  5. a) exhibiría — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional: exhibiría.

  6. d) he exhibido — The sentence needs the yo form in the present perfect: he exhibido, haber + exhibido.

  7. c) exhibas — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the tú present subjunctive is exhibas.

  8. b) exhibido — The past participle is exhibido: he exhibido, has exhibido, ha exhibido. The gerund exhibiendo is used with estar instead.

  9. a) to exhibit — exhibir means to exhibit. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.

  10. a) Él exhibe sus obras en la galería. — Él exhibe sus obras en la galería. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences mix up the person and the form.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use exhibir in everyday conversation?

Start with the phrases in the examples above — especially the common combinations such as Exhibo la colección en el museo and Exhibe sus obras en la galería. Use the present tense for habits and general facts, and the preterite for things that happened once. Say the sentences aloud until the forms feel automatic, then swap in your own details: your own town, your own family, your own routine.

What is the difference between exhibir and mostrar?

Exhibir means “to exhibit”, while mostrar means “to show”. They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use exhibir when you mean “to exhibit” and mostrar when you mean “to show”.

Which tense do I need most with exhibir?

The present tense, for habits, routines and general facts — that is where you will use exhibir most. The preterite comes next, for things that happened once and ended. The examples on this page use both, plus the imperfect, the future and the present perfect, so you can see the verb across the tenses you actually need.

Is exhibir formal or informal?

Exhibir is neutral — it is used in both formal and informal Spanish, at home, at work and at school. There is no special formal version of it; the same forms work in a conversation with a friend and in a letter to a company. What changes is the situation, not the verb.

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