verdonnern
to sentence
To sentence someone to a punishment in court.
EXAMPLE
Das Gericht verdonnerte ihn zu einer hohen Geldstrafe.
The court sentenced him to a hefty fine.
verdonnern
to sentence / force
verdonnern – verdonnerte – hat verdonnert
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Meanings
verdonnern zu
to force someone to
To force someone against their will to do something unpleasant or bothersome.
EXAMPLE
Der Chef verdonnerte mich dazu, am Wochenende zu arbeiten.
The boss forced me to work at the weekend.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry verdonnern, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Present
| ich | verdonnere verdonnre |
|---|---|
| du | verdonnerst |
| er/sie/es | verdonnert |
| wir | verdonnern |
| ihr | verdonnert |
| sie | verdonnern |
Simple past
| ich | verdonnerte |
|---|---|
| du | verdonnertest |
| er/sie/es | verdonnerte |
| wir | verdonnerten |
| ihr | verdonnertet |
| sie | verdonnerten |
Perfect
with haben
| ich | habe verdonnert |
|---|---|
| du | hast verdonnert |
| er/sie/es | hat verdonnert |
| wir | haben verdonnert |
| ihr | habt verdonnert |
| sie | haben verdonnert |
Commands
| du | verdonner! verdonnere!, verdonnre! |
|---|---|
| ihr | verdonnert! |
| Sie | verdonnern Sie! |
Past perfect
| ich | hatte verdonnert |
|---|---|
| du | hattest verdonnert |
| er/sie/es | hatte verdonnert |
| wir | hatten verdonnert |
| ihr | hattet verdonnert |
| sie | hatten verdonnert |
Future
| ich | werde verdonnern |
|---|---|
| du | wirst verdonnern |
| er/sie/es | wird verdonnern |
| wir | werden verdonnern |
| ihr | werdet verdonnern |
| sie | werden verdonnern |
Subjunctive I
| ich | verdonnere verdonnre |
|---|---|
| du | verdonnerst |
| er/sie/es | verdonnere verdonnre |
| wir | verdonnern |
| ihr | verdonnert |
| sie | verdonnern |
Used for reported speech.
Subjunctive II
| ich | verdonnerte |
|---|---|
| du | verdonnertest |
| er/sie/es | verdonnerte |
| wir | verdonnerten |
| ihr | verdonnertet |
| sie | verdonnerten |
Used for wishes and “would”.
Other forms
| infinitive | verdonnern |
|---|---|
| with zu | zu verdonnern |
| present participle | verdonnernd |
| past participle | verdonnert |
Usage tips
Inseparable verb
„verdonnern“ (to sentence / force) has the inseparable prefix „ver-“. Therefore, the verb stays together in a main clause; in a subordinate clause, it also appears as one word at the end of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Die Lehrerin verdonnerte den Schüler zum Nachsitzen.
The teacher sentenced the student to detention.
Sie wusste, dass das Gericht ihn zu einer Geldstrafe verdonnern würde.
She knew that the court would sentence him to a fine.
Colloquial style
„verdonnern“ (to sentence / force) is colloquial and often expresses a negative evaluation: The person affected considers the punishment or obligation unpleasant or unfair.
EXAMPLE
Mein Bruder findet es unfair, dass man ihn jedes Jahr zum Aufräumen verdonnert.
My brother thinks it's unfair that he's forced to clean up every year.
Court sentence
In its court-related meaning, „verdonnert werden“ (to be sentenced) is often used with „zu“ and a punishment, such as a fine or a prison sentence.
EXAMPLE
Der Betrüger wurde zu einer mehrjährigen Haftstrafe verdonnert.
The fraudster was sentenced to several years in prison.
Fixed construction
For an unpleasant obligation, the person affected is in the accusative. This is followed by „zu“ with a noun, or by „dazu“ when an infinitive with „zu“ follows.
EXAMPLE
Die Eltern verdonnerten ihren Sohn dazu, den ganzen Nachmittag den Garten umzugraben.
The parents forced their son to dig up the garden all afternoon.
Der Trainer verdonnerte die Mannschaft zu einem zusätzlichen Training.
The coach forced the team to do an additional training session.
In real life
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