1. to officially state the punishment given to someone by a court of law
（法庭）宣判，判決
The judge sentenced him to five years in prison.
法官判處他五年監禁。
She was sentenced to community service for the offense.
她因該項罪行被判處社區服務。
Sentence Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
sentence
verb
快速理解
What does "Sentence" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Sentence"?
「sentence」作動詞時，主要指法官對罪犯宣告刑罰。
- 1
判刑
EN: The judge sentenced him to five years in prison.
翻譯: 法官判處他五年監禁。
- 2
宣告刑罰
EN: The court sentenced the defendant to community service.
翻譯: 法庭判處被告進行社區服務。
- 3
處以特定刑罰
EN: He was sentenced to death for his crimes.
翻譯: 他因所犯罪行被判處死刑。
小提醒：注意：作動詞的「sentence」幾乎只用於法律情境，指法官「判決、判刑」，與名詞「句子」的意思完全不同。
發音（How to Pronounce "Sentence" in English）
How to pronounce "Sentence" in English?"Sentence" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Sentence" from YouTube Videos
English Reading with Connected Speech 📖 Vocabulary and Native Pronunciation Practice
Unknown channel
“if the sentence has an object, you have to follow this with the preposition in: you have confidence in something or someone.”
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Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Sentence"?How does "Sentence" change by context?
2. to cause to suffer a severe consequence or fate (often figurative)
使遭受（嚴重後果或命運，常為比喻用法）
His reckless investment sentenced the company to bankruptcy.
他魯莽的投資使公司走向破產。
The faulty design sentenced the building to eventual collapse.
有缺陷的設計注定了這棟建築最終會倒塌。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Sentence"?How to make natural sentences with "Sentence"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| sentence + someone + to + something | 判決某人做某事 | The judge sentenced him to community service. (法官判他進行社區服務。) |
| be sentenced + to + punishment | 被判處…刑罰 | She was sentenced to five years in prison. (她被判處五年監禁。) |
| sentence + someone + for + crime | 因某罪行判決某人 | The court sentenced the defendant for fraud. (法庭因詐騙罪判決了被告。) |
用法說明
How is "Sentence" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Sentence"?
sentence doing vs sentence to do
- sentence doing 通常用於描述一個已發生的、具體的判決行為，強調「判決」這個動作本身。
- sentence to do 則較為少見，但可能出現在較正式的語境中，表示「判決某人去做某事」，強調判決的結果或要求。
- 在大多數情況下，sentence 作為動詞時，後面直接接受詞（被判刑的人），然後用介系詞 to 引導刑期或懲罰，例如：
sentence someone to life imprisonment。 EN: The judge sentenced him to community service. 翻譯: 法官判決他進行社區服務。
EN:The court is sentencing the defendant to ten years in prison.
翻譯:法庭正在判處被告十年監禁。
總結建議
在表達「判決某人接受某種刑罰」時，最標準的用法是 sentence someone to something，其中 to 後面接名詞性的刑罰內容。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Sentence" and similar words?How to choose "Sentence" vs alternatives?
sentence vs convict
「sentence」指法官對已被定罪者宣告的刑罰；「convict」指陪審團或法官判定某人有罪。
sentence vs punish
「sentence」是法律上的正式判刑；「punish」是泛指任何形式的懲罰，不限於法律。
sentence vs penalize
「sentence」通常指刑事判決；「penalize」多指違規處罰，如體育比賽或行政罰款。
口語用法
How is "Sentence" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Sentence"?
引述
在口語中，常用來引述或轉述他人的話語，尤其是判決或正式宣告。 EN: He was sentenced to community service, and honestly, I think it's fair. 翻譯: 他被判處社區服務，說真的，我覺得很公平。
EN:The judge just sentenced him to probation, so he won't be going to jail.
翻譯:法官剛剛判他緩刑，所以他不用去坐牢。
語氣強調
用於強調某種後果或懲罰的嚴重性，常帶有誇張或比喻的意味。 EN: My mom basically sentenced me to a weekend of chores for coming home late. 翻譯: 我媽因為我晚回家，基本上判了我一個週末的家務勞動。
EN:If you eat all that junk food, you're sentencing yourself to a stomach ache.
翻譯:如果你把那些垃圾食物全吃掉，你就是在給自己判胃痛。
停頓填充
在思考或組織語句時，作為一個短暫的停頓點，引出後續的解釋或結果。 EN: The committee decided to... sentence the company to a hefty fine for the violations. 翻譯: 委員會決定要... 判處該公司因違規行為支付巨額罰款。
EN:So after the trial, they're going to... sentence him next week, I believe.
翻譯:所以審判之後，他們將在... 下週判刑，我相信是這樣。
注意：在正式寫作或法律文書中，應避免使用上述口語中的比喻或停頓填充用法，以保持語言的嚴謹與準確性。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Sentence"?What fixed phrases with "Sentence" should I remember?
sentence someone to
sentence [sb] to [sth]
判處某人（某種刑罰）
sentence someone to death
sentence [sb] to death
判處某人死刑
sentence someone to life (imprisonment)
sentence [sb] to life (imprisonment)
判處某人無期徒刑
sentence someone to time served
sentence [sb] to time served
判處某人已服刑期（當庭釋放）
sentence someone harshly
sentence [sb] harshly/leniently
嚴厲地／寬大地判處某人
sentence someone to pay a fine
sentence [sb] to pay a fine
判處某人支付罰款
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Sentence"?Which "Sentence" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×The judge sentenced him to prison for 10 years.
✓The judge sentenced him to 10 years in prison.
當使用 'sentence' 作為動詞時，正確的結構是 'sentence someone to [時間] in prison' 或 'sentence someone to prison for [時間]'。原句將時間直接放在 'prison' 前面是不自然的。
×They sentenced him death.
✓They sentenced him to death.
動詞 'sentence' 後面必須接介系詞 'to' 來引導判決的結果（如 to death, to prison, to community service）。直接加名詞是錯誤的。
×I will sentence you write a report.
✓I will sentence you to write a report.
當判決內容是一個動作（如寫報告、參加課程）時，必須使用 'sentence someone to + 動詞原形' 的結構。省略 'to' 是錯誤的。
×He was sentenced by the judge for murder.
✓He was sentenced by the judge for murder.
這個句子本身文法正確，但學習者常混淆 'sentence' 與 'convict'。'Sentence' 指的是宣布刑罰，而 'convict' 指的是判定有罪。一個常見的錯誤是在該用 'convict' 表示定罪時，卻用了 'sentence'。
×The law sentences that all thieves go to jail.
✓The law stipulates that thieves can be sentenced to jail.
動詞 'sentence' 的主語通常是具體的司法人員或機構（如 judge, court），而不是抽象的法律或規則。法律是規定（stipulate/prescribe）刑罰，而法官或法院才是執行判刑（sentence）的主體。
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Sentence"?What are tense/participle forms of "Sentence"?
sentences(3rd_singular)sentencing(present_participle)sentenced(past)sentenced(past_participle)