Spanish Conversation · Level 33
75 words
Spanish word
castigar
Pronunciation
IPA/kastiˈɣaɾ/
Meaning
- verbpunish
Example
Si rompes la regla, te castigarán.
If you break the rule, you will be punished.
More examples
La policía puede castigar con una multa a los conductores que exceden el límite.
The police can punish drivers who exceed the limit with a fine.
Core concept
Disciplinary action against a rule-breaker.
Common phrases
castigar a alguien
punish someone
castigar con una multa
punish with a fine
castigar severamente
punish severely
Similar words
regañar: Speaks sharply to someone to reprimand or correct minor misbehavior.
Definition in Spanish
Imponer una consecuencia negativa a quien incumple una norma, ya sea física, social o económica, con propósito sancionador o correctivo.
Word origin
Castigar comes from Latin castigāre, based on castus 'pure', originally meaning 'set right' and later developing the sense 'inflict punishment'.
Usage tips
- In speech te van a castigar is often a joking or threatening phrase, and for formal legal penalties speakers use sancionar or multar to be specific.