sentence / penalty
Loading your saved state.
sentence
The type and severity of a punishment for a criminal offense, as determined by a court.
Die Staatsanwaltschaft forderte ein höheres Strafmaß als vom Gericht verhängt wurde.
The prosecution requested a harsher sentence than the one imposed by the court.
This word is made up of 'die Strafe' (punishment/penalty) and 'das Maß' (measure/extent). So it literally means the 'measure of the punishment,' that is, how high or severe a punishment is.
Das Gericht wird morgen das Strafmaß für den Angeklagten verkünden.
The court will announce the sentence for the defendant tomorrow.
'Strafmaß' (sentence/penalty) is a term from legal language. It is used mainly in the context of court proceedings, legal texts, or news reports about crime.
Der Anwalt plädierte auf ein mildes Strafmaß für seinen Mandanten.
The lawyer argued for a lenient sentence for his client.
In a legal context, the sentence is 'set,' 'determined,' or 'announced' by a court. The prosecution or defense can 'demand' or 'request' a particular sentence.
Die Richterin legte das Strafmaß auf zwei Jahre Haft ohne Bewährung fest.
The judge set the sentence at two years in prison without probation.
judgment / verdict
'das Urteil' and 'das Strafmass' both belong to the context of a court and a criminal offense. 'Urteil' means the court's entire legal decision at the end of a trial. It can state whether someone is guilty and what the consequences are. 'Strafmass' refers only to the type and severity of the punishment, for example a fine or prison sentence and how much of it. Learners may confuse the words because the 'Strafmass' is often part of the 'Urteil'. In practice: the court pronounces an 'Urteil'; the 'Strafmass' is stated in the 'Urteil'.
Das Strafmass beträgt zwei Jahre Gefängnis auf Bewährung.
The sentence is two years in prison, suspended.
Zur Begründung des Urteils las die Richterin mehrere Seiten vor.
To explain the verdict, the judge read out several pages.