The Present Tense of castigar is used to describe actions that are happening right now or that occur habitually. For example, El maestro castiga a los estudiantes desobedientes. (The teacher punishes the disobedient students.)

Castigar is a regular -ar verb, which means its conjugations in the present tense follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Castigar (to punish) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

Castigar generally means to punish or penalize, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To punish or penalize: For example, El maestro castiga a los estudiantes que llegan tarde. (The teacher punishes the students who arrive late.)

To discipline or correct: For example, Los padres castigan a sus hijos cuando se portan mal. (Parents discipline their children when they misbehave.)

To chastise or reprimand: For example, El jefe castiga a sus empleados por su mal desempeño. (The boss reprimands his employees for their poor performance.)

To inflict pain or suffering (colloquial): For example, Este ejercicio me castiga los músculos. (This exercise punishes my muscles.)

To criticize or scold harshly (colloquial): For example, Vosotros castigáis mucho a vuestro hermano por todo. (You guys scold your brother harshly for everything.)

Examples

Examples of Castigar in the Present Tense

Mis padres siempre me castigan cuando llego tarde a casa. (My parents always punish me when I get home late.)

El maestro castiga a los estudiantes que no hacen la tarea. (The teacher punishes the students who don’t do their homework.)

¿Por qué castigas a tu hermano menor tan severamente? (Why do you punish your younger brother so harshly?)

En la escuela, los maestros ya no castigan a los estudiantes con golpes. (At school, teachers no longer punish students with beatings.)

Los padres castigan a sus hijos para enseñarles disciplina. (Parents punish their children to teach them discipline.)

En algunos países, la policía castiga a los criminales con penas severas. (In some countries, the police punish criminals with severe penalties.)

Los entrenadores castigan a los jugadores que llegan tarde a la práctica. (Coaches punish players who are late to practice.)

¿Por qué castigas a tu perro cuando se porta mal? (Why do you punish your dog when it misbehaves?)

En algunas culturas, los padres castigan a sus hijos con golpes. (In some cultures, parents punish their children with beatings.)

Los jueces castigan a los criminales con penas de cárcel. (Judges punish criminals with prison sentences.)

¿Por qué castigan a los niños tan severamente en esa escuela? (Why do they punish children so harshly at that school?)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Castigar (to punish) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.