German Conversation · Level 95
59 words
German word
bestrafen
Pronunciation
IPA/bəˈʃtʁaːfən/
Meaning
- verbpunish
Example
Die Lehrerin bestraft den Schüler für das Schwänzen.
The teacher punishes the student for skipping class.
More examples
Das Gericht bestrafte den Angeklagten wegen Betrugs.
The court punished the defendant for fraud.
Core concept
A rule-breaker faces a deliberate penalty from an authority.
Common phrases
jemanden für etwas bestrafen
punish someone for something
den Schüler für Fehlverhalten bestrafen
punish the student for misconduct
hart bestrafen
punish harshly
Similar words
strafen: Impose punishment for a violation or other bad conduct.
tadeln: Express verbal disapproval to correct someone's improper behavior.
rügen: Officially reprimand someone for improper conduct.
ahnden: Penalize a violation under a law or set of rules.
Definition in German
jemanden wegen eines Fehlverhaltens mit einer Strafe belegen
Word origin
Bestrafen combines be- with the inherited Germanic verb strafen, meaning to punish, and makes the punished person the direct object.
Usage tips
- Bestrafen is transitive, so the person punished appears in the accusative, as in Die Lehrerin bestraft den Schüler.