castigo
/kasˈtiɡo/masculine
The English word punishment is translated into Spanish as castigo. Wiktionary also lists escarmiento.
Meaning: penalty for wrongdoing (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| castigo | /kasˈtiɡo/ | masculine |
| escarmiento | /eskaɾˈmjento/ | masculine |
Castigo is the most common and universal term for punishment in Spanish. To express the act of administering a penalty, you can use the phrase dar un castigo. The related verb form is castigar, which means to punish.
Which one should you use?
While castigo refers to the penalty itself, escarmiento refers to the lesson or deterrent effect gained from a punishment.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, castigo is the most prevalent term for expressing punishment, both formally and informally.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of castigo is castigos.
How do you pronounce it?
/kasˈtiɡo/
Did you know?
- The word castigar is also used in art and cooking to describe applying a technique with excessive force, such as 'punishing' a piece of meat with high heat to sear it.
- The word escarmiento comes from the Old Spanish word escarnir, which meant 'to mock'. This reveals an ancient connection between the act of punishing someone and the act of shaming them publicly.
- In some contexts, castigo is used colloquially to describe something that is an exhausting or grueling ordeal, such as a very long commute or a difficult workout, rather than a legal penalty.
Examples in context
- Se merece el castigo.He deserves the punishment.This sentence is useful for saying someone deserves the punishment using castigo.Tatoeba #1005178 by hayastan, translation #291230 by CK
- Tom se merecía el castigo.Tom deserved the punishment.This sentence is useful for describing a past situation regarding the punishment using castigo.Tatoeba #1551535 by Shishir, translation #1548160 by Spamster
- El que roba merece castigo.A person who steals deserves punishment.This sentence is useful for stating a general rule about how a person who steals deserves punishment using castigo.Tatoeba #962620 by hayastan, translation #279852 by CK
- A los estudiantes que rompieron las reglas se les aplicó un castigo ejemplar.The students who broke the rules were given an exemplary punishment.
- La penalización por conducir a exceso de velocidad es una multa.The punishment for speeding is a fine.
- El gobierno anunció sanciones para aquellos que evadan impuestos.The government announced punishments for those who evade taxes.
- Si sigues así, te voy a poner un castigo en serio.If you keep it up, I'm going to give you a serious punishment.
- Por ese crimen tan atroz, mereces que te metan a la cárcel de por vida.For such a heinous crime, you deserve a lifetime in jail as punishment.
- Le dio un buen regaño a su hijo por portarse mal en la escuela.He gave his son a good scolding for misbehaving at school.
- El árbitro le mostró la tarjeta roja como sanción por su conducta violenta en el partido.The referee showed him the red card as punishment for his violent behavior in the game.
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are discussing a student's discipline at school.
- Mateo¿Crees que el castigo fue demasiado para él?Do you think the punishment was too much for him?
- ElenaNo, Mateo, él sabía lo que hacía.No, Mateo, he knew what he was doing.
- MateoPero parece un castigo muy duro.But it seems like a very hard punishment.
- ElenaEs necesario para que aprenda la lección.It is necessary so that he learns his lesson.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “punishment” translations and entries castigo, escarmiento, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries castigo, escarmiento, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
