punir

Punir is a French verb meaning to punish. It is transitive and used to apply a penalty or disciplinary measure in response to wrongdoing. The verb covers formal legal punishment, school or parental discipline, and metaphorical consequences. It often takes a direct object (punir quelqu’un) and can be followed by de to express the reason (punir quelqu’un de sa faute) or by a means (punir par des sanctions).

Conjugation is regular in many tenses but has its own present stem. Present indicative: je punis, tu punis, il punit, nous punissons, vous punissez, ils punissent. Passé composé uses auxiliary avoir: j’ai puni, tu as puni, il a puni, nous avons puni, vous avez puni, ils ont puni. Imperfect: punissais, punissais, punissait, punissions, punissiez, punissaient. Future simple: punirai, puniras, punira, punirons, punirez, puniront. Subjunctive present: que je punisse, que tu punisses, qu’il punisse, que nous punissions, que vous punissiez, qu’ils punissent. Imperative: punis, punissons, punissez. Participle and related forms: puni (past participle), en punissant (gerund).

Etymology and related terms: punir comes from Latin punire, related to the concept of penalty (poena) and the French noun punition. Related terms include sanctionner (to sanction) and réprimander (to reprimand), with punir often implying a formal or consequential response to fault. Usage notes: punir is used for both concrete penalties (legal or administrative) and disciplinary actions, whether mild or severe, while nuances vary by register and context. Example: Le juge a puni le délinquant; elle a été punie pour sa conduite.