inheritance / heritage
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inheritance
The assets, possessions, and debts that a person leaves behind after their death and that pass to the heirs.
Nach dem Tod ihres Vaters trat sie ein kompliziertes Erbe an, das aus einem Haus und einigen Schulden bestand.
After her father's death, she accepted a complicated inheritance consisting of a house and some debts.
heritage
The totality of cultural, historical, or intellectual values that are taken over from earlier generations and passed on.
Die antiken Ruinen sind ein wichtiges kulturelles Erbe für die ganze Menschheit.
The ancient ruins are an important cultural heritage for all of humanity.
genetic heritage
The totality of genetic information that is passed from parents to their descendants.
Die Neigung zu bestimmten Krankheiten kann im genetischen Erbe einer Familie liegen.
The tendency toward certain diseases can lie in a family's genetic heritage.
'Das Erbe' is part of a word family: 'erben' (to inherit) is the verb (the action), 'der Erbe' (male heir) or 'die Erbin' (female heir) is the person who inherits, and 'das Erbe' (inheritance/heritage) is what is inherited.
Als einziger Sohn wird er das gesamte Vermögen erben.
As the only son, he will inherit the entire fortune.
You can recognize the meaning from context: if it is about money or possessions, the financial inheritance (m01) is meant. If it is about history, art, or tradition, it is cultural heritage (m02). In the context of biology or medicine, genetic heritage (m03) is meant.
Sie stritten sich jahrelang um das Erbe ihrer Eltern.
They argued for years over their parents' inheritance.
In the financial context, there are two important verbs: 'ein Erbe antreten' means to accept an inheritance. 'Ein Erbe ausschlagen' means to officially refuse it, which often happens when there are debts.
Er musste das Erbe ausschlagen, weil die Schulden zu hoch waren.
He had to refuse the inheritance because the debts were too high.
Cultural heritage is often specified more closely by adjectives such as 'kulturell' (cultural), 'historisch' (historical), or 'national' (national). A very common compound is also 'das Weltkulturerbe' (world cultural heritage).
Die Altstadt von Bamberg gehört zum Weltkulturerbe.
The old town of Bamberg is part of the World Heritage Site.
discount / estate
Erbe and Nachlass can both refer to the assets left after someone’s death. Nachlass tends to mean the deceased person’s entire estate, viewed from the perspective of what they left behind, while Erbe usually refers to what the heirs take over. Nachlass fits when discussing the administration of the estate; Erbe fits when discussing its transfer to the heirs.
Nach dem Tod ihrer Mutter teilten die Geschwister das Erbe untereinander auf.
After their mother’s death, the siblings divided the inheritance among themselves.
Der Notar stellte zuerst fest, welche Schulden zum Nachlass der Verstorbenen gehörten.
The notary first determined which debts belonged to the deceased woman’s estate.
