to punish / penalize
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to punish
To punish someone for misconduct or a criminal offense, often in a formal or legal context.
Der Verein will Spieler, die gegen die Regeln verstoßen, konsequent abstrafen.
The club wants to consistently punish players who violate the rules.
'Abstrafen' (to punish / penalize) is a separable verb. In a main clause, the prefix 'ab-' comes at the end of the sentence, while in a subordinate clause it remains attached to the verb.
Der Schiedsrichter straft das Foul sofort ab.
The referee immediately penalizes the foul.
The verb is based on 'strafen' (to punish). The prefix 'ab-' here emphasizes the consequence or result of a negative action that leads to a punishment.
Wer zu schnell fährt, wird mit einem Bußgeld abgestraft.
Anyone who drives too fast is punished with a fine.
In this meaning, a preposition often follows that names the reason for the punishment. The typical structure is: 'jemanden (Akkusativ) für etwas (Akkusativ) abstrafen' (to punish someone for something).
Der Trainer strafte die Mannschaft für die schlechte Leistung ab.
The coach punished the team for the poor performance.
You can recognize the figurative meaning from the context. When it is about elections, markets, or public behavior, the actors are often 'die Wähler' (the voters), 'die Kunden' (the customers), or 'der Markt' (the market).
Die Kunden straften den Hersteller für die Preiserhöhung ab und kauften nichts mehr.
The customers punished the manufacturer for the price increase and stopped buying anything.
to sentence / condemn
'verurteilen' and 'abstrafen' can both have to do with punishment or disapproval. 'verurteilen' is used in court when a punishment is set, or morally when you strongly reject something. 'abstrafen' places more emphasis on the reaction to misconduct: someone is punished or faces clearly negative consequences. Figuratively, for example, you can say that voters 'abstrafen' a party. Learners may confuse the words because both express a negative consequence. In the legal sense, 'verurteilen' is more precise for the judgment or sentence. 'abstrafen' fits better when the punishment or harsh reaction is the main focus.
Bei der Wahl straften viele Bürger die Regierung für ihre Fehler ab.
In the election, many citizens punished the government for its mistakes.
Das Gericht hat den Betrüger zu einer langen Haftstrafe verurteilt.
The court sentenced the fraudster to a long prison term.