detention / attachment
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detention
A punishment in which a person is confined for a certain period of time, especially in the case of juveniles, students, or soldiers. It is a form of deprivation of liberty that is milder than a prison sentence.
Wegen wiederholten Schwänzens bekam der Schüler eine Woche Arrest.
Because of repeated truancy, the student got a week of detention.
'Der Arrest' usually means a mild form of deprivation of liberty for juveniles or students (detention). It is not the same as the English word 'arrest', which corresponds to the police term 'Festnahme' (arrest).
Weil er die Schule geschwänzt hat, hat er zwei Tage Arrest bekommen.
Because he skipped school, he got two days of detention.
In connection with punishments for young people, typical phrases are: 'Arrest bekommen' (to get detention), 'jemandem Arrest geben' (to give someone detention), or 'Stubenarrest haben' (to be grounded / have room confinement).
Seine Eltern haben ihm für eine Woche Stubenarrest gegeben.
His parents grounded him for a week.
The construction 'unter Arrest stehen' describes the state of being confined. The active form is 'jemanden unter Arrest stellen' (to place someone under detention/arrest).
Der Soldat wurde wegen Befehlsverweigerung unter Arrest gestellt.
The soldier was placed under detention for refusing to obey orders.
You can recognize the legal meaning from words from the financial and legal fields, such as 'Gericht' (court), 'Vermögen' (assets), 'Konto' (account), or 'Gläubiger' (creditor). Here it is about securing money or property.
Das Gericht hat den Arrest des gesamten Vermögens des Schuldners angeordnet.
The court ordered the attachment of the debtor's entire assets.
prison
'das Gefängnis' and 'der Arrest' both have to do with deprivation of liberty. 'Gefängnis' is the normal place, or also the normal prison sentence after a crime. 'Arrest' usually means a shorter or milder form of being confined, for example for juveniles, students, or soldiers. In legal technical language, 'Arrest' can also be a provisional security measure, for example in connection with monetary claims. Learners may confuse the words because both sound like punishment. For serious crimes and the normal place of detention, 'Gefängnis' fits; for special, often shorter measures, 'Arrest' fits.
Wegen der Prügelei bekam der Jugendliche einen kurzen Arrest.
Because of the fight, the teenager got a short period of detention.
Nach dem schweren Diebstahl musste der Mann ins Gefängnis.
After the serious theft, the man had to go to prison.