Quero mostrar-lhe isto.

I want to show you this.

Breakdown of Quero mostrar-lhe isto.

• querer: to want
• isto: this
• mostrar: to show
• lhe: to her

Questions & Answers about Quero mostrar-lhe isto.

What exactly does lhe mean in this sentence?

In Quero mostrar-lhe isto, lhe is an indirect object pronoun meaning “to you” (formal, singular), or “to him / to her”, depending on context.
So the structure is:

• mostrar = to show
• lhe = to him / to her / to you (formal, singular)
• isto = this (near the speaker)

Altogether: “I want to show you this.” (or “I want to show him/her this,” if that fits the context).

Is lhe formal or informal “you” in European Portuguese?

In European Portuguese, lhe is generally formal when it means “you”:

• To a friend (informal, tu): you would normally use te, not lhe → Quero mostrar-te isto.
• To someone you address formally (o senhor / a senhora / você): you can use lhe → Quero mostrar-lhe isto.

So, with the meaning “you”, lhe is associated with formal or at least more distant/polite address.

Can lhe also mean “him” or “her” here?

Yes. Lhe is the indirect object pronoun for “to him”, “to her”, and formal you (singular).
Only the context tells you which person is meant:

• Quero mostrar-lhe isto. = I want to show him this.
• Quero mostrar-lhe isto. = I want to show her this.
• Quero mostrar-lhe isto. = I want to show you (formal) this.

Spoken context or previous sentences clarify which one applies.

Why is there a hyphen in mostrar-lhe?

The hyphen shows that lhe is a clitic pronoun attached to the verb.
In European Portuguese, when a pronoun comes after an infinitive (mostrar, dizer, fazer, etc.), it is normally written with a hyphen:

• mostrar + lhe → mostrar-lhe
• dizer + lhe → dizer-lhe

So Quero mostrar-lhe isto literally looks like: “I want to-show-you this.”

Why does the pronoun go after mostrar instead of after quero?

In European Portuguese, with verbs like querer, poder, dever followed by an infinitive, the default position is to attach the pronoun to the infinitive, not to the conjugated verb:

• Quero mostrar-lhe isto. (EP standard)
• Posso explicar-te isto. = I can explain this to you.

Putting the pronoun after quero (Quero-lhe mostrar isto) is not standard in European Portuguese; it sounds Brazilian or non‑standard in Portugal.

Is Quero lhe mostrar isto wrong?

For European Portuguese, Quero lhe mostrar isto is not the usual or standard form.
In Brazil, Quero lhe mostrar isto (pronoun before infinitive, no hyphen) is more natural.
In Portugal, the normal choice is:

• Quero mostrar-lhe isto.

So if you’re aiming at Portuguese from Portugal, prefer Quero mostrar-lhe isto.

How would I say this informally to a friend in Portugal?

Use tu forms and the pronoun te:

• Quero mostrar-te isto. = I want to show you (informal, singular) this.

Here the pattern is the same: infinitive mostrar + clitic te after the verb with a hyphen.

What’s the difference between isto, isso, and aquilo?

They all relate to “this / that”, but with different distances:

• isto = this (thing close to the speaker)
• isso = that (thing close to the listener)
• aquilo = that (thing far from both speaker and listener)

In Quero mostrar-lhe isto, isto suggests the object is right here with the speaker (e.g. something in your hand or on your screen).

Why is it lhe and not o / a here?

Because mostrar works like “to show something to someone”:

• mostrar algo a alguém → “to show something to someone”

So:

• isto (this) is the direct object (the thing shown)
• lhe is the indirect object (the person receiving the showing: to him/her/you)

If you used o / a, you’d be saying “show him / her / it” as a direct object, for example:

• Quero mostrá-lo. = I want to show it / him.
• Quero mostrá-la. = I want to show it / her.

How is Quero mostrar-lhe isto pronounced?

Roughly in English-friendly terms (European Portuguese):

• Quero ≈ "KEH-roo" (short e, light r)
• mostrar-lhe ≈ "moosh-TRAR-lye"
  
  • mos- often sounds like "moosh" in EP
  • -trar has a strong European r
  • lhe ≈ "lye" (one syllable, like “lyeh”)
• isto ≈ "EESH-too"

Spoken quickly, you’ll hear something like: "KEH-roo moosh-TRAR-lye EESH-too."

Can I replace lhe with a full noun phrase instead?

Yes. You can say the full “to + person” phrase instead of using lhe:

• Quero mostrar isto ao senhor. = I want to show this to you, sir.
• Quero mostrar isto à Maria. = I want to show this to Maria.

If you keep the noun, you normally don’t also use lhe for the same person in standard grammar (you avoid “Quero mostrar-lhe isto à Maria”). Use either the pronoun or the full phrase.