erben
to inherit
To receive money, property, or a title from a person after their death.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat von ihrer Tante ein kleines Vermögen geerbt.
She inherited a small fortune from her aunt.
erben
to inherit
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Meanings
erben
to inherit
To receive a genetic trait, characteristic, or illness from one's parents or ancestors.
EXAMPLE
Er hat die lockigen Haare von seiner Mutter geerbt.
He inherited his curly hair from his mother.
Usage tips
Sentence structure and case
The verb 'erben' (to inherit) follows a fixed pattern: the person who inherits is the subject. What is inherited is in the accusative, and the person it is inherited from is in the dative with the preposition 'von' (from).
EXAMPLE
Er hat das Haus (Akkusativ) von seinen Großeltern (Dativ) geerbt.
He inherited the house (accusative) from his grandparents (dative).
Word family
'Erben' (to inherit) belongs to a word family around the topic of inheritance. 'Das Erbe' is what one inherits (e.g., money or traditions), and 'der Erbe' or 'die Erbin' is the person who inherits.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Tod des Königs trat der älteste Sohn das Erbe an.
After the king's death, the eldest son took over the inheritance.
Context clue
The context makes it clear which meaning is intended. If it is about money, houses, or objects, the financial meaning is meant. If it is about appearance, character, or illnesses, the genetic meaning is meant.
EXAMPLE
Mein Bruder hat Omas alte Uhr geerbt.
My brother inherited Grandma's old watch.
Compare with
erben vs vererben
to bequeath / pass on
Erben and vererben describe the same transfer from different perspectives. A person who receives property after someone’s death erbt it. A person who arranges for their own property to pass to someone else after their death vererbt it.
erben
Lena erbt das Haus von ihrem Großvater.
Lena inherits the house from her grandfather.
vererben
Ihr Großvater vererbt Lena das Haus.
Her grandfather bequeaths the house to Lena.
In real life
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