to punish
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to punish
To impose a punishment on someone for an offense, a mistake, or a crime. This is often done by an authority such as a court or parents.
Der Richter wird den Angeklagten für den Diebstahl strafen.
The judge will punish the defendant for the theft.
The verb 'strafen' (to punish) is directly related to the noun 'die Strafe' (punishment/penalty). When you 'strafen' someone, you give them a 'Strafe' (punishment).
Für dieses Vergehen droht eine hohe Strafe.
A severe penalty is threatened for this offense.
To state the reason for the punishment, you use the preposition 'für' (for) followed by the accusative. The structure is: jemand (subject) straft jemanden (accusative) für etwas (accusative).
Die Eltern straften das Kind für die schlechte Note mit Fernsehverbot.
The parents punished the child for the bad grade with a ban on watching TV.
When the type of punishment is an action, you use the preposition 'mit' (with) and the dative. A very common expression is 'jemanden mit Nichtachtung strafen' (to treat someone with contempt / to punish someone with disregard).
Er hat sie nach dem Streit mit Schweigen gestraft.
After the argument, he punished her with silence.
The expression 'mit etwas gestraft sein' (to be cursed with something) is formed with the auxiliary verb 'sein' (to be) and expresses that someone suffers from a long-lasting disadvantage. The person who is 'gestraft' (cursed/punished) is in the nominative.
Manche Menschen sind mit einer lauten Stimme gestraft.
Some people are cursed with a loud voice.
to sentence / condemn
'verurteilen' and 'strafen' can both have to do with a punishment. 'verurteilen' is used especially in court: a court decides that someone is guilty and sets a punishment. 'strafen' is more general. Parents, teachers, or other authorities can also punish someone. Learners may confuse the words because a punishment often follows a conviction or sentence. But 'verurteilen' is the formal decision, while 'strafen' is giving or imposing the punishment.
Die Eltern straften ihren Sohn, weil er wieder zu spät nach Hause kam.
The parents punished their son because he came home late again.
Das Gericht verurteilte den Mann zu zwei Jahren Gefängnis.
The court sentenced the man to two years in prison.