to Show off etc

Question

Hi all,

I was trying to think of how to say show off yesterday, but it was while driving and I couldn't come up with much. Back at home last night, not much better. How does one best express showing off, in general, be it a guy showing off his new car, his incredibly awesome girlfriend, his ability to jump cars on a unicycle, etc etc.

I ran into mostrar, comprobar, presentar, lucir, but wasn't convinced any of them were really "showing off" and that they were really more like just showing, presenting, or demonstrating, in the examples I could find. Lucir looked maybe a little closer, but I'm still not sure.

Any help, especially if a few different people could contribute a few different examples and contexts, would be awesome, especially since I know showing off can be both a positive thing, and a bit negative, if it's arrogant or brash. If those are expressed differently from one another, that would be awesome to know.

Please show off your mad spanish skilz.

Interesting one, Rog. - annierats, Jul 14, 2013

Answer 1

I've heard presumir used in that way (edit - but as Annie highlighted this would be said in a derogative way, to one degree or another).

How about alardear, that's more like brag I guess, but we could use it in a non-derrogative way if say granddad was bragging about his new granddaughter or something like that.

Exhibir? Maybe that one is more neutral.

I have a gut feel that presumir is derogatory, as in ' he is always showing off, I'm fed up with him'??? - annierats, Jul 14, 2013

Yes I agree :) - Kiwi-Girl, Jul 14, 2013

Thanks Kiwi. - rogspax, Jul 15, 2013

you're welcome :) - Kiwi-Girl, Jul 15, 2013

Answer 2

One could get by using ' mostrar' , perhaps?

Rogspax quiere mostrar sus habilidades.. he wants to show off his skills.

Oh, and thanks! - rogspax, Jul 15, 2013

True, but I was trying to do better than getting by. In person, I do that all the time, but then try to dig deeper when I have time here. - rogspax, Jul 15, 2013

You're right. - annierats, Jul 15, 2013

Answer 3

To show off: Andar con plumas arriba.

I like that. - annierats, Jul 14, 2013

:) - 00551866, Jul 14, 2013

Thanks. Very picturesque. - rogspax, Jul 15, 2013

Answer 4

I found this: lucirse con un coche nuevo=to show off a new car

I also found this: postinear=to show off

Answer 5

Le encanta fardar de coche.

He loves to show off about his car.

I would use alardear/jactarse.... i don;t know where would "fardar" be used... - chileno, Jul 14, 2013

In my dictionary ::) - ian-hill, Jul 14, 2013

Yes, and in RAE too, but I had never heard it and it doesn't say where it is from... - chileno, Jul 14, 2013

Thanks Ian. In my dictionary -- HaHa. - rogspax, Jul 15, 2013

Answer 6

Yo usaría "lucirse".

Actually, you get my vote, I thinkit would be both thenearest meaning and in common use. The ' plumas arriba' sounds good but I've never sen or heard it ( I don't keep birds). - annierats, Jul 15, 2013

Answer 7

Look here

The link feature wasn't working...

[http://www.spanishcentral.com/translate/show off][1]

Hi Chileno, I tried to fix the link for you, but it's still not working :-( - 0095ca4c, Jul 14, 2013

Thank you... :-( - chileno, Jul 14, 2013

It doesn't work for that particular address, but it's not the link feature here. I tried it with other addresses and it worked. - rac1, Jul 14, 2013

I could get it to work for that site, but not with "show off". Odd - rac1, Jul 14, 2013

Right. It is the space between the word show*off - chileno, Jul 14, 2013

Thanks Chileno - rogspax, Jul 15, 2013