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 (Latin American Spanish):

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

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

To reprimand or scold: For example, El jefe castiga a los empleados que llegan tarde. (The boss scolds the employees who arrive late.)

To penalize or impose a sanction: For example, El árbitro castiga al equipo con una falta. (The referee penalizes the team with a foul.)

To chastise or criticize harshly: For example, Los críticos castigan la nueva película por su falta de originalidad. (The critics chastise the new movie for its lack of originality.)

Colloquial usage: To mistreat or abuse: For example, No puedo creer que ese tipo castiga a su esposa. (I can’t believe that guy mistreats his wife.)

Examples

Examples of Castigar in the Present Tense

Yo castigo a mi hijo cuando se porta mal. (I punish my son when he misbehaves.)

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

La maestra castiga a los estudiantes que llegan tarde a clase. (The teacher punishes students who arrive late to class.)

Nosotros castigamos a nuestros hijos cuando desobedecen las reglas. (We punish our children when they disobey the rules.)

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

En la escuela, los maestros castigan a los estudiantes problemáticos con detención. (At school, teachers punish troublesome students with detention.)

Si castigas a tu hijo con demasiada frecuencia, puede afectar su autoestima. (If you punish your child too often, it can affect their self-esteem.)

Algunos padres castigan a sus hijos con nalgadas, pero otros prefieren métodos más positivos. (Some parents punish their children with spankings, but others prefer more positive methods.)

En el ejército, los oficiales castigan a los soldados que desobedecen órdenes. (In the army, officers punish soldiers who disobey orders.)

Cuando castigas a tu mascota, debes ser consistente y firme. (When you punish your pet, you must be consistent and firm.)

Los entrenadores castigan a los jugadores que llegan tarde a las prácticas. (Coaches punish players who arrive late to practices.)

En algunas culturas, castigan a los criminales con penas severas, como la pena de muerte. (In some cultures, they punish criminals with severe penalties, such as the death penalty.)

Si castigamos a nuestros hijos con demasiada dureza, pueden rebelarse contra nosotros. (If we punish our children too harshly, they may rebel against us.)

Algunos gobiernos castigan a los disidentes políticos con encarcelamiento o exilio. (Some governments punish political dissidents with imprisonment or exile.)

Conjugations with English Translations

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

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian 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.