A simple storybook illustration showing one colorful cartoon character pointing an accusatory finger directly at another character, symbolizing the act of blaming.

culpar

kool-pahr

VerbA2regular ar

to blame?to assign fault or responsibility,to accuse?to suggest someone did something wrong

Also:to hold responsible?formal or legal contexts

Quick Reference

infinitiveculpar

gerundculpando

past Participleculpado

📝 In Action

No puedes culpar al clima por tu mala actitud.

You can't blame the weather for your bad attitude.

Todos culparon al conductor del accidente.

Everyone blamed the driver for the accident.

La policía no pudo culpar a nadie con las pruebas que tenía.

The police couldn't accuse anyone with the evidence they had.

Word Connections

Synonyms

acusar (to accuse)
responsabilizar (to hold responsible)

Antonyms

disculpar (to excuse)
perdonar (to forgive)

Common Collocations

culpar a alguien por – to blame someone for
culpar injustamente – to blame unfairly

💡 Grammar Points

Using the Personal 'a'

When you blame a person (the direct object), you must use the little word 'a' right before their name or description: 'Culpé a mi hermano' (I blamed my brother).

Structure: Blame for WHAT?

To specify the reason for the blame, use the preposition 'por': 'Me culparon por el error' (They blamed me for the mistake).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Confusing 'Culpar' and 'Echar la culpa'

Mistake: "Using 'culpar' as a noun phrase, like 'Él me echó la culpar.'"

Correction: The common way to assign blame is 'echar la culpa': 'Él me echó la culpa' (He put the blame on me). 'Culpar' is just the verb: 'Él me culpó'.

⭐ Usage Tips

The Reflexive Form: Culparse

If you are blaming yourself, use the reflexive form: 'Me culpo por no haberlo intentado' (I blame myself for not having tried).

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedculpa

yoculpo

túculpas

ellos/ellas/ustedesculpan

nosotrosculpamos

vosotrosculpáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedculpaba

yoculpaba

túculpabas

ellos/ellas/ustedesculpaban

nosotrosculpábamos

vosotrosculpabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedculpó

yoculpé

túculpaste

ellos/ellas/ustedesculparon

nosotrosculpamos

vosotrosculpasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedculpe

yoculpe

túculpes

ellos/ellas/ustedesculpen

nosotrosculpemos

vosotrosculpéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedculpara/culpase

yoculpara/culpase

túculparas/culpases

ellos/ellas/ustedesculparan/culpasen

nosotrosculpáramos/culpásemos

vosotrosculparais/culpaseis

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: culpar

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'culpar' to blame a person?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

culpa(fault, guilt) - noun

culpable(guilty, culprit) - adjective/noun

disculpar(to excuse, to apologize) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'culpar' always negative?

Yes, 'culpar' carries a negative connotation because it involves assigning a mistake or fault to someone. If you want a positive word, use 'felicitar' (to congratulate) or 'reconocer' (to recognize/praise).

What is the difference between 'culpar' and 'acusar'?

'Culpar' means to assign fault or responsibility for something that happened. 'Acusar' means to make a formal charge or statement that someone has committed a crime or done something wrong. They are often interchangeable, but 'acusar' is stronger and more formal.