revelar
verbCEFR B2
What does “revelar” mean in English?
1.to reveal, to show
to reveal, to show (revelar que + indicative — bringing previously unknown or hidden information to light)
2.to reveal, to disclose
to reveal, to disclose (revelar que / revelar un secreto — bringing hidden information to light in narrative)
Example sentences
La investigación revela que la mayoría de los participantes desconocía la existencia de estas restricciones.
The research reveals that the majority of participants were unaware of these restrictions.
Los documentos desclasificados revelan hasta qué punto se ocultó información relevante a la opinión pública.
The declassified documents reveal the extent to which relevant information was withheld from public opinion.
Estos datos revelan una brecha preocupante entre las expectativas de los ciudadanos y los resultados reales de la política.
This data reveals a worrying gap between citizens' expectations and the real outcomes of the policy.
How to use it
Revelar means 'to reveal' or 'to show' — used when data, research, or analysis brings something to light. It implies that the information was not previously known or was hidden: 'El estudio revela que…'. Pattern: revelar que + indicative (the revealed fact is presented as true). At B2 it is particularly useful in academic and journalism-adjacent contexts. Note: revelar las fotos (to develop photographs) is a different, archaic sense — in digital contexts, this use has largely disappeared.
Common mistake
Revelar que always takes indicative when the finding is presented as a discovered fact. Don't use subjunctive after positive revelar que. The key semantic nuance: revelar implies the information was previously concealed or unknown; mostrar is more neutral ('shows'); indicar points to an implication ('indicates'). In academic writing, these three verbs are used strategically to calibrate the claimed strength of evidence.