batsu wa kibishikatta.

The punishment was severe.

Breakdown of batsu wa kibishikatta.

• は: topic particle
• 厳きびしい: strict
• 罰ばつ: a punishment

Questions & Answers about batsu wa kibishikatta.

How do you read 罰は厳しかった?

It is read ばつはきびしかった.

A breakdown:

• 罰 → ばつ
• は → pronounced wa when it is the topic particle
• 厳しかった → きびしかった

In normal Japanese writing, it would usually appear without spaces as 罰は厳しかった。

Why is は pronounced wa here instead of ha?

Because は is acting as a particle, not as part of a regular word.

As a topic particle, は is written with the kana は but pronounced wa. This is one of the first pronunciation quirks learners run into.

So:

• 罰は is pronounced ばつは in spelling
• but actually said as ばつわ

What does the particle は do in this sentence?