to punish / penalize
Loading your saved state.
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.
to punish
In a figurative sense, to show disapproval or rejection of an action, person, or organization, e.g. through voting behavior or purchasing decisions.
Die Wähler haben die Regierungspartei für ihre unpopuläre Politik bei der Wahl deutlich abgestraft.
The voters clearly punished the governing party at the election for its unpopular policies.
'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 punish
Bestrafen is the general expression for imposing a punishment. Abstrafen can mean the same thing, but it often sounds more formal and emphasizes a clear response to the misconduct. For a neutral statement, bestrafen is usually the better choice.
Das Gericht straft den Täter für sein Fehlverhalten hart ab.
The court is harshly punishing the offender for his misconduct.
Die Schule bestraft den Schüler für sein Fehlverhalten.
The school is punishing the student for his misconduct.
