heir
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heir
A person who is legally entitled to receive another person's assets, property, or title after that person's death.
Als einziger Sohn ist er der rechtmäßige Erbe des Familienunternehmens.
As the only son, he is the rightful heir to the family business.
'Der Erbe' is the person who 'erbt' (inherits) something. The thing that is inherited is 'das Erbe' (inheritance/heritage). These three words form a word family.
Er wird das Haus seiner Großeltern erben.
He will inherit his grandparents' house.
'Der Erbe' is a noun of the N-declension. This means it takes the ending '-n' in all cases except the nominative singular (den Erben, dem Erben, des Erben).
Das Testament nennt seinen Neffen als einzigen Erben.
The will names his nephew as the sole heir.
You can recognize the meaning from context. In legal or family contexts (with words like 'Testament' (will), 'Vermögen' (assets)), the legal heir is meant. In a cultural context (with words like 'musikalisch' (musical), 'geistig' (intellectual/spiritual)), an ideal or intellectual successor is meant.
Die Anwältin informierte die rechtmäßigen Erben.
The lawyer informed the rightful heirs.
In the legal sense, 'Erbe' (heir) is often combined with adjectives like 'rechtmäßig' (rightful), 'alleinig' (sole), or 'potenziell' (potential). A common verb phrase is 'jemanden als Erben einsetzen' (to appoint someone as heir).
Er wurde im Testament als alleiniger Erbe eingesetzt.
He was appointed sole heir in the will.
successor
'Nachfolger' and 'Erbe' can both refer to a person who comes after another person. The difference lies in the reason. A 'Nachfolger' takes over a position, an office, or a task. This can also happen while the other person is still alive. An 'Erbe' receives assets, property, or sometimes a title after a person's death. In royal families, the words can overlap because someone can be both an 'Erbe' and a 'Nachfolger' to the throne. In everyday language, you should only use 'Erbe' when it is really about inheriting after a death or about an intellectual or cultural legacy.
Sarah ist die einzige Erbin ihres Onkels.
Sarah is her uncle's only heir.
Nach dem Rücktritt der Chefin wurde Herr Kaya ihr Nachfolger.
After the boss resigned, Mr. Kaya became her successor.