urteilt

Urteil is a German noun meaning judgment or verdict, most commonly used for a formal decision made by a court. The related verb urteilen means to judge, assess, or form an opinion. In legal contexts, the term refers to the binding decision issued after a trial, such as a civil or criminal verdict. In everyday language, to urteil can also describe forming an opinion about someone or something.

The verb urteilen is conjugated as follows in the present tense: ich urteile, du urteilst, er/sie/es urteilt. The plain past is ich urteilte, du urteiltest, er urteilte; the perfect tense is ich habe geurteilt. The noun Urteils plural is Urteile, and the related noun Urteilsfähigkeit refers to the capacity to make judgments.

Usage notes: In German, the distinction between Urteilsbildung and Beurteilung is subtle. Urteilsbildung often emphasizes the act of forming a conclusion, sometimes with evaluative weight, whereas Beurteilung is a more neutral assessment or appraisal. The word Urteil can carry formal, authoritative connotations when used about legal decisions, while in moral or subjective contexts it can imply strong opinions. Common expressions include vorschnell urteilen (to judge prematurely) and ein Urteil fällen (to pass a verdict).