puni
In French, the English phrase "grounded" (referring to being confined for a misdemeanor) is expressed as puni.
When someone is being grounded as a punishment, you use the term puni. To specifically communicate that someone is grounded from leaving the house, French speakers often use the colloquial phrase puni de sortie.
Meaning: confined to one's room for some misdemeanor (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the word must agree with the gender and number of the person being grounded. Use puni for a masculine subject, punie for a feminine subject, punis for masculine plural subjects and punies for feminine plural subjects.
Did you know?
- In historical French school contexts, être puni often implied a public shaming or a specific posture, such as standing in the corner, rather than just confinement to a room.
- While puni means 'grounded' or 'punished', French parents often use the phrase être privé de to specify exactly what is being taken away, such as privé de console for being grounded from a gaming console.
- The word puni shares a root with the English word 'punitive', coming from the Latin punire meaning 'to chastise'.
Examples in context
- Ziri s'est fait punir.Ziri got grounded.This sentence shows how to express that someone got grounded using puni.Tatoeba #11033766 by Amastan, translation #10207010 by Amastan
- J'ai entendu dire que tu étais punie.I hear you were grounded.This sentence is useful for hearing how someone might be told they were grounded using punie.Tatoeba #9978171 by lbdx, translation #2276277 by CK
- Tu es punie de sortie pendant un mois.You're grounded for a month.This sentence demonstrates the phrase used to say someone is grounded from going out using punie.Tatoeba #9978376 by lbdx, translation #3724262 by CM
- Mon oncle est un homme enraciné dans sa culture.My uncle is a man grounded in his culture.
- Elle est une artiste ancrée dans la tradition.She is an artist rooted in tradition.
- Malgré les difficultés, il reste toujours posé.Despite the difficulties, he always remains grounded.
- Son ami a toujours les pieds sur terre.His friend is always grounded.
- Elle est une personne très équilibrée.She is a very grounded person.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two teenagers talking at school.
- ChloéPourquoi n'es-tu pas venu au cinéma ?Why didn't you come to the cinema?
- NathanJe suis puni parce que j'ai eu une mauvaise note.I am grounded because I got a bad grade.
- ChloéC'est vraiment dommage, Nathan !That's really a shame, Nathan!
- NathanOui, je suis puni tout le week-end.Yes, I am grounded all weekend.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry puni, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
