Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| culpar | /kulˈpaɾ/ |
| culpabilizar | /kulpabiliˈθaɾ/ /kulpabiliˈsaɾ/ |
| echar la culpa | /et͡ʃaɾ la kulpa/ (from spelling rules) |
The verb culpar is used to assign blame for an action. To specify the reason for the blame, use the preposition de after the verb, as in culpar a alguien de algo (to blame someone for something). The related noun culpa refers to the state of having caused a bad event. In formal contexts, you can also use the verb responsabilizar a alguien, which means to hold someone responsible. In informal settings, you can use the verb cargar along with la culpa to express blame.
What does it mean word for word?
The idiomatic expression echar la culpa is composed of echar (to throw/cast) and la culpa (the blame).
Which one should you use?
While culpar means to assign blame for an action, culpabilizar often carries the nuance of making someone feel a sense of guilt or psychological responsibility.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The expression echar la culpa is a common idiomatic expression used in more colloquial or everyday speech compared to the more formal culpar.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb culpar is a transitive verb that requires the personal a when the object being blamed is a specific person, such as in culpar a alguien.
How do you pronounce it?
/kulˈpaɾ/
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Tom no te culparía.Tom wouldn't blame you.Tatoeba #1715866 by marcelostockle, translation #1140825 by CK
- No lo puedo culpar.I can't blame him.Tatoeba #1767630 by hayastan, translation #1767297 by Spamster
- No la puedo culpar.I can't blame her.Tatoeba #1767631 by hayastan, translation #1767295 by Spamster
- El jefe responsabilizó al departamento de ventas por las bajas cifras de ventas.The boss held the sales department responsible for the low sales figures.
- Juan echó la culpa a María por haber llegado tarde a la fiesta.Juan blamed María for arriving late to the party.
- Los amigos le cargaron la culpa a Pepe por romper el vaso.The friends blamed Pepe for breaking the glass.
- 74 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are discussing a mistake at work.
- María¿Vas a culpar a Juan por el error?Are you going to blame Juan for the error?
- AlejandroNo, no es bueno culparlo así.No, it is not good to blame him like that.
- MaríaPero él cometió una falta.But he committed a mistake.
- AlejandroLo sé, pero no quiero culpar a nadie.I know, but I do not want to blame anyone.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “blame” translations and entries culpar, culpabilizar, echar la culpa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries culpa, culpabilizar, culpar, echar, la, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
