Punire vs. castigare
The Italian verbs 'punire' and 'castigare' both mean 'to punish' in English, but they have subtle differences in usage and connotation.
Punire
'Punire' is generally used for more formal or severe punishments, often associated with legal or institutional contexts.
Il giudice ha deciso di punire severamente il criminale.
(The judge decided to severely punish the criminal.)
La scuola punisce gli studenti che copiano durante gli esami.
(The school punishes students who cheat during exams.)
Castigare
'Castigare' often implies a milder form of punishment, typically used in more personal or informal situations, especially with children.
I genitori hanno castigato il bambino per aver mentito.
(The parents punished the child for lying.)
L'allenatore ha castigato la squadra con esercizi extra.
(The coach punished the team with extra exercises.)
Summary
While both 'punire' and 'castigare' mean 'to punish', 'punire' is typically used for more serious or formal punishments, often in legal or institutional contexts. 'Castigare' is generally used for milder punishments, especially in personal or informal situations, and is more commonly used when referring to disciplining children or in less severe cases.