sentence
sentence — 名詞
1. A complete unit of words arranged in grammatically correct order that communicat
句子
表達完整語意的語言單位
A complete unit of words arranged in grammatically correct order that communicates a full message — for example, telling someone something, asking a question, or issuing a command.
Haruto wrote a long sentence on the whiteboard to show the grammar rule.
Haruto 在白板上寫了一個長句子來說明文法規則。
subject–verb structure in a declarative sentence
The first sentence of an essay should clearly state the main topic.
文章的第一句應該清楚說明主題。
Mira's teacher explained that every question sentence must end with a question mark.
Mira 的老師解釋說，每個問句結尾都必須加上問號。
Cole struggled to write a complete sentence in his new language.
Cole 很難用他學的新語言寫出完整的句子。
Arjun rewrote the first sentence of his report after his tutor said it was too vague.
Arjun 在老師說他的報告第一句寫得太模糊之後，重寫了那句話。
常見錯誤
2. The penalty set by a court for a person found guilty of a crime, such as time in
刑期
法院判定的懲罰
The penalty set by a court for a person found guilty of a crime, such as time in prison, a fine, or community service.
Diego received a three-year prison sentence for stealing cars from a dealership.
Diego 因從車行偷車而被判三年有期徒刑。
prison sentence for [crime]
The judge reduced Folake's sentence because she cooperated with the police.
因為 Folake 配合警方調查，法官減輕了她的刑期。
Lakshmi served only half of her sentence before being released on parole.
Lakshmi 只服了一半的刑期就獲得假釋出獄。
Zayd was given a life sentence for the murder of a police officer.
Zayd 因殺害一名警察而被判處無期徒刑。
The judge gave Ada a suspended sentence, so she did not go to jail.
法官對 Ada 判處緩刑，所以她不用入獄。
- penalty
penalty is broader and can include non-court punishments such as sports fines or late fees
- punishment
punishment is a general term; sentence specifically refers to a court-ordered punishment for a crime
- acquittal
acquittal means being found not guilty, so no sentence is given
常見錯誤
3. The formal moment in court when a judge publicly announces the punishment decide
判決
法官宣布刑罰的程序
The formal moment in court when a judge publicly announces the punishment decided for a convicted person.
The judge will pass sentence on Monday at the city courthouse.
法官將於週一在市法院宣判刑罰。
pass sentence — idiom for pronounce punishment
Under sentence of death, Sayaka spent her last days with her family.
被判處死刑後，Sayaka 在家人的陪伴下度過最後的日子。
The courtroom fell silent as the judge read out the sentence.
法官宣讀判決時，整個法庭鴉雀無聲。
Judge Asher passed sentence on the convicted man in a packed courtroom in Nairobi.
Asher 法官在奈洛比座無虛席的法庭上對被定罪者宣判刑罰。
- judgment
judgment is a broader legal term that can include the verdict and the reasoning; sentence is specifically the punishment announcement
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 2: sense 2 is the penalty itself (e.g. 'a 5-year sentence'), while this sense is the act of declaring it (e.g. 'pass sentence'). Frequently used with the verb 'pass', 'read out', or 'pronounce'.
sentence — 動詞
1. For a judge to set and announce the legal penalty for a person found guilty of a
判刑
法官依法決定懲罰
For a judge to set and announce the legal penalty for a person found guilty of a crime.
The judge sentenced the young man to ten years in prison for armed robbery.
法官因持械搶劫判處那名年輕人十年有期徒刑。
sentence + person + to + penalty + for + crime
Christopher was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Christopher 被判處終身監禁，不得假釋。
passive: be sentenced to + penalty
Élise was sentenced for fraud and ordered to pay back all the money she took.
Élise 因詐欺被判刑，並被命令歸還她所拿走的全部款項。
The court sentenced Ada to three years of community service instead of jail.
法院判處 Ada 三年社區服務，代替入獄服刑。
Talia was sentenced to death for poisoning her husband with a slow-acting poison.
Talia 因用慢性毒藥毒死丈夫而被判處死刑。
- pass sentence on
a phrasal alternative used in formal legal contexts; 'pass' is the verb, 'sentence' is the noun
- condemn
condemn is more dramatic and often implies a harsh moral judgment, not just a legal one
- acquit
acquit means to find someone not guilty, which is the opposite of sentencing
文法句型
sentence + person + to + penalty
sentence + person + for + crime
be sentenced to + penalty
be sentenced for + crime
用法筆記
Almost always used in formal, legal contexts. The passive form ('was sentenced to X') is more common in news reporting than the active form. The person sentenced is typically the direct object, and the penalty follows 'to'.