resolution / intent / endpaper
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resolution
An intention or plan that you want to put into action. The term is often used for personal goals that you set for yourself at the beginning of a new year.
Mein guter Vorsatz für das neue Jahr ist, mehr Sport zu treiben.
My New Year's resolution is to exercise more.
intent
In the legal sense, the conscious and deliberate carrying out of an action, especially a criminal offense. It describes the intention behind an act.
Das Gericht befand, dass der Angeklagte mit Vorsatz gehandelt hatte.
The court found that the defendant had acted with intent.
endpaper
In bookbinding, the double sheet of paper that connects the book block at the front and back to the book cover.
Der Vorsatz dieses alten Buches ist mit einem schönen Marmormuster verziert.
The endpaper of this old book is decorated with a beautiful marbled pattern.
The word 'Vorsatz' consists of 'vor' (before / in front of) and 'Satz' (sentence / setting). Figuratively, it describes something that you 'vor-setzt' yourself, that is, place in front of yourself as a goal. This logic connects the idea of a plan with that of a legal intention.
Er hat den Vorsatz gefasst, pünktlicher zu sein.
He made the resolution to be more punctual.
You can easily recognize the meaning from the context. Personal goals are often called 'gute Vorsätze' (good resolutions), especially in connection with the 'neues Jahr' (new year). The legal term is almost always used with the verb 'handeln' (to act) or in connection with a 'Gericht' (court) or a 'Straftat' (criminal offense).
Einer meiner guten Vorsätze ist, weniger Süßigkeiten zu essen.
One of my good resolutions is to eat fewer sweets.
When personal goals are involved, 'Vorsatz' (resolution) is often combined with certain verbs. You can say 'einen Vorsatz fassen' (to make a resolution), 'Vorsätze haben' (to have resolutions), 'Vorsätze umsetzen' (to implement resolutions), or 'seine Vorsätze brechen' (to break one's resolutions).
Es ist leicht, gute Vorsätze zu fassen, aber schwer, sie einzuhalten.
It is easy to make good resolutions, but hard to keep them.
In a legal context, 'Vorsatz' (intent) is almost always used in the fixed expression 'mit Vorsatz handeln' (to act with intent). The preposition 'mit' is crucial here and indicates the intentionality of an act.
Er hat die Fensterscheibe nicht aus Versehen, sondern mit Vorsatz zerstört.
He did not destroy the windowpane by accident, but with intent.
This meaning of 'Vorsatz' (intent) as intention in an action belongs to the technical language of the justice system and is rarely used in everyday life, except when talking about legal topics.
Im Prozess musste geklärt werden, ob Vorsatz vorlag.
In the trial, it had to be clarified whether intent was present.
plan
Vorsatz is usually a personal commitment to actually achieve a specific goal. Plan can concern the same goal, but it places more emphasis on the idea of how to proceed. Vorsatz is therefore appropriate for a personal resolution, while Plan is more suitable for specific, prepared steps.
Mein Vorsatz ist, im neuen Jahr regelmäßig mehr Sport zu treiben.
My resolution is to exercise more regularly in the new year.
Mein Plan ist, jeden Montag, Mittwoch und Freitag eine Stunde zu trainieren.
My plan is to train for an hour every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
