⚠️ Grammatical and legal false friend: sentence ≠ only "phrase"
The word "sentence" is a classic example of a false friend when translating into French. In everyday language, it simply means a phrase (a group of words). But in criminal law, it means "peine" or "condamnation" (penalty/conviction), and its associated verb, "to sentence," means "condamner" (to convict).
👉 Handle with caution, especially in legal translations.
✍️ In common usage: sentence = phrase (grammar)
This is the most familiar use of the term "sentence."
Examples:
- This sentence is grammatically incorrect → Cette phrase est grammaticalement incorrecte
- A sentence must begin with a capital letter → Une phrase doit commencer par une majuscule
👉 In grammar, the translation is straightforward. The trap appears in law.
⚖️ In criminal law: sentence = peine / condamnation
In legal matters, particularly in common law countries, "sentence" refers to the criminal penalty imposed by a court.
Examples:
- To serve a sentence → Purger une peine
- He received a life sentence → Il a été condamné à la prison à perpétuité
- She is currently serving a five-year sentence → Elle purge actuellement une peine de cinq ans
🔨 The verb "to sentence" = condamner (à une peine)
Examples:
- To sentence someone to life imprisonment → Condamner quelqu'un à la prison à perpétuité
- He was sentenced to death → Il a été condamné à mort
⚖️ In arbitration: don't say "sentence arbitrale"
The English term "arbitral award" should not be literally translated into French.
👉 The correct translation in French is: sentence arbitrale
Examples:
- The tribunal rendered an arbitral award → Le tribunal a rendu une sentence arbitrale
- Recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards → Reconnaissance et exécution des sentences arbitrales
✅ Summary
| English term |
Correct French translation |
False friend to avoid |
| Sentence (grammar) |
Phrase |
Sentence (!?) |
| Sentence (legal) |
Peine / condamnation |
Phrase (!?) |
| To sentence (penal) |
Condamner |
Donner une phrase (!?) |
| Arbitral award |
Sentence arbitrale |
Sentence arbitrale (!?) |
📌 TransLex's Advice
Before translating "sentence" into French, ask yourself these three questions:
- Is this a grammatical phrase, or a criminal penalty?
- Are we dealing with a verb or a noun?
- Are we talking about a judicial or arbitral proceeding?
👉 Sentence = phrase in grammar, peine/condamnation in criminal law 👉 Arbitral award = sentence arbitrale (⚠️ not "sentence arbitrale" literally)
❓ FAQ: translating "sentence" into French
Does "sentence" always translate as phrase in French?
No. In everyday grammar it does correspond to phrase (a group of words). In criminal law, however, it refers to the penalty handed down by a court and is rendered as peine or condamnation. Context decides the meaning.
