The Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) of Castigar is used to give direct orders or instructions to punish someone, for example Castiga al niño por su mal comportamiento. (Punish the child for his bad behavior.)

This verb follows the -gar to -gue spelling-changing conjugation pattern, where the ‘g’ changes to ‘gu’ before the ‘e’ vowel in certain conjugations.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Castigar (to punish) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Latin American Spanish):

Castigar generally means to punish or discipline, but has several different meanings in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands), some of which might surprise you.

Literal meaning: To punish or discipline someone for wrongdoing, for example, ¡Castiga al niño por portarse mal! (Punish the child for misbehaving!)

Figurative meaning: To severely criticize or reprimand, for example, ¡Castígalo por su irresponsabilidad! (Reprimand him for his irresponsibility!)

Colloquial meaning: To beat or defeat someone decisively, often in a game or competition, for example, ¡Castígalos en la cancha! (Beat them decisively on the field!)

Vulgar slang: To physically or verbally abuse someone, often in a harsh or excessive manner, for example, ¡Castígalo por hacerme enojar! (Rough him up for making me angry!) Note: This usage is considered rude and aggressive.

Examples

Examples of Castigar in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands)

¡Castiga a tu hijo cuando se porte mal! (Discipline your child when they misbehave!)

Mamá, por favor castigue a mi hermano por romper mi juguete. (Mom, please punish my brother for breaking my toy.)

Padres, castiguemos a los niños si no obedecen las reglas. (Parents, let’s discipline the children if they don’t obey the rules.)

Profesores, castiguen a los estudiantes que copien en los exámenes. (Teachers, punish the students who cheat on exams.)

Si tu perro se porta mal, castígalo con firmeza. (If your dog misbehaves, discipline it firmly.)

Cuando tus empleados lleguen tarde, castígalos con una multa. (When your employees are late, punish them with a fine.)

Jefe, castigue a los trabajadores que no cumplan con sus tareas. (Boss, punish the workers who don’t complete their tasks.)

Compañeros, castiguemos a quienes no respeten las reglas del equipo. (Teammates, let’s discipline those who don’t respect the team’s rules.)

Autoridades, castiguen a los delincuentes con todo el peso de la ley. (Authorities, punish the criminals with the full force of the law.)

Si tu pareja te engaña, castígala con indiferencia. (If your partner cheats on you, punish them with indifference.)

Amigos, castiguemos a quienes nos traicionen con la ley del hielo. (Friends, let’s punish those who betray us with the cold shoulder.)

Cuando tus hijos desobedezcan, castígalos sin violencia. (When your children disobey, discipline them without violence.)

Entrenador, castigue a los jugadores que no se esfuercen en los entrenamientos. (Coach, punish the players who don’t put in effort during practice.)

Ciudadanos, castiguemos a los políticos corruptos sacándolos del poder. (Citizens, let’s punish corrupt politicians by removing them from power.)

Si tu mascota se orina en la casa, castígala con firmeza. (If your pet urinates in the house, discipline it firmly.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Castigar (to punish) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

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

Synonyms

The Imperative mood is also known as the Command Form, Affirmative Command Mood, or Direct Command Form in English, and as Modo Imperativo, Imperativo Afirmativo, Mandatos Afirmativos, or Forma de Mandato in Spanish.