The Imperfect Tense of Castigar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Mis padres me castigaban cuando no obedecía. (My parents used to punish me when I didn’t obey.)

Castigar is a regular -ar verb, so its conjugations in the Imperfect Tense follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Castigar (to punish) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

The imperfect tense of castigar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

To punish or discipline: For example, Mis padres me castigaban cuando me portaba mal. (My parents used to punish me when I misbehaved.)

To reprimand or scold: For example, El maestro castigaba a los estudiantes que no hacían la tarea. (The teacher used to scold the students who didn’t do their homework.)

To inflict pain or suffering (figurative): For example, El sol castigaba a los trabajadores en el campo. (The sun punished the workers in the field.)

To penalize or impose a sanction (colloquial): For example, El árbitro nos castigaba con faltas cada vez que protestábamos. (The referee used to penalize us with fouls whenever we protested.)

Examples

Examples of Castigar in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, mi padre castigaba a mis hermanos y a mí si no obedecíamos. (When I was a child, my father would punish my siblings and me if we didn’t obey.)

El entrenador castigaba a los jugadores haciéndolos correr vueltas extras después de los entrenamientos. (The coach would punish the players by making them run extra laps after practice.)

La maestra castigaba a los estudiantes ruidosos pidiéndoles que se quedaran después de clase. (The teacher would punish the noisy students by asking them to stay after class.)

Aunque era estricto, el jefe castigaba a los empleados solo cuando era necesario. (Although he was strict, the boss would only punish employees when necessary.)

En la cárcel, los guardias castigaban a los presos desobedientes quitándoles privilegios. (In prison, the guards would punish disobedient inmates by taking away privileges.)

Mis padres castigaban mis travesuras prohibiéndome ver televisión durante una semana. (My parents would punish my mischief by not letting me watch TV for a week.)

El gobierno castigaba a las empresas que contaminaban el medio ambiente con multas elevadas. (The government would punish companies that polluted the environment with heavy fines.)

La abuela castigaba a los nietos desobedientes haciéndolos sentarse en una esquina. (Grandma would punish disobedient grandchildren by making them sit in a corner.)

Aunque era duro, el sargento castigaba a los reclutas para fortalecerlos física y mentalmente. (Although he was tough, the sergeant would punish the recruits to strengthen them physically and mentally.)

En la escuela, la directora castigaba el mal comportamiento suspendiendo a los estudiantes problemáticos. (At school, the principal would punish bad behavior by suspending troublesome students.)

Los padres castigaban a sus hijos quitándoles sus juguetes favoritos cuando se portaban mal. (Parents would punish their children by taking away their favorite toys when they misbehaved.)

El equipo de fútbol castigaba las faltas graves de los jugadores sacándolos del campo. (The soccer team would punish serious fouls by players by taking them off the field.)

La policía castigaba a los conductores ebrios con multas y la suspensión de sus licencias. (The police would punish drunk drivers with fines and license suspensions.)

Aunque era duro, el entrenador castigaba a los atletas para que dieran lo mejor de sí mismos. (Although it was tough, the coach would punish the athletes to make them give their best.)

En la iglesia, el sacerdote castigaba los pecados con penitencias y oraciones. (In church, the priest would punish sins with penances and prayers.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Castigar (to punish) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

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

Synonyms

The Imperfect tense is also known as the Past Imperfect, Descriptive Past, Past Progressive, or Imperfect Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Imperfecto, Copretérito, Imperfecto de Indicativo, or Pasado Descriptivo in Spanish.