Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| culpa | /ˈkulpa/ | feminine |
| remordimiento | /remoɾdiˈmjento/ | masculine |
The word culpa is a feminine noun used to express the feeling of guilt. It is also the standard term for 'fault' or 'blame' when discussing responsibility in a legal or causal sense. The term remordimiento is used specifically for the painful, nagging feeling of remorse or conscience.
Which one should you use?
Culpa is a broad term that covers both the emotional sense of guilt and the concept of fault or responsibility. In contrast, remordimiento refers specifically to the deep, nagging sense of remorse.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some parts of Latin America, you might hear the phrase Me siento arrepentido to express the idea 'I feel regret'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
While culpa is the noun for guilt, you should use the adjective culpable to say that someone is 'guilty'. To express the verb 'to make someone feel guilty', you can use hacer sentir culpable.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkulpa/
Did you know?
- The verb inside remordimiento, remorder, literally means 'to bite back', from the Latin 're-' (again) and 'mordere' (to bite). It paints a picture of guilt as something that repeatedly bites at your conscience.
- While culpa is used for guilt, Spanish uses the word cargo (meaning 'load' or 'charge') in the phrase cargo de conciencia to describe the burden of guilt.
- In Catholic traditions common in Spanish-speaking countries, the word culpa is central to the 'Confession' ritual, where a distinction is made between 'mortal' and 'venial' guilt.
Examples in context
- Él confesó su culpa.He confessed his guilt.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of culpa.Tatoeba #1573764 by marcelostockle, translation #296839 by CK
- Él admitió su culpa.He admitted his guilt.Tatoeba #1573765 by marcelostockle, translation #298868 by autuno
- El ladrón admitió su culpa.The thief admitted his guilt.Tatoeba #2036589 by marcelostockle, translation #44935 by CM
- Siento culpa por mi comportamiento inapropiado en la reunión. Me siento culpable y quiero disculparme con todos los presentes.I feel guilt for my inappropriate behavior in the meeting. I feel guilty and want to apologize to everyone present.
- No debí decir eso, me siento mal por haberlo hecho. Perdóname, amigo.I shouldn't have said that, I feel bad for doing it. Forgive me, my friend.
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Mateo are talking about a mistake at work.
- MaríaMe siento muy mal por lo que pasó.I feel very bad about what happened.
- MateoNo deberías cargar con toda la culpa, María.You shouldn't carry all the guilt, María.
- MaríaPero yo cometí el error.But I made the mistake.
- MateoFue un accidente, olvida la culpa.It was an accident, forget the guilt.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “guilt” translations and entries culpa, remordimiento, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries culpa, remordimiento, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
