der Kronprinz
crown prince
The official male heir to the throne in a monarchy.
EXAMPLE
Der Kronprinz wird eines Tages die Nachfolge seines Vaters, des Königs, antreten.
The crown prince will one day succeed his father, the king.
der Kronprinz
crown prince
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Meanings
der Kronprinz
heir apparent
In a figurative sense, a person regarded as the designated successor for an important position in a company or organization.
EXAMPLE
Innerhalb der Partei wird er schon lange als Kronprinz des amtierenden Vorsitzenden gehandelt.
Within the party, he has long been regarded as the current chairman's heir apparent.
Usage tips
Word composition
The word is a simple compound of 'die Krone' (the crown) and 'der Prinz' (the prince). So it literally refers to the prince who will inherit the crown.
EXAMPLE
Der junge Kronprinz wurde auf seine zukünftigen Aufgaben als Herrscher vorbereitet.
The young crown prince was prepared for his future duties as ruler.
Context clue
You can recognize the figurative meaning from the context. If the sentence is about a 'Unternehmen' (company), a 'Partei' (party), or an 'Organisation' (organization), it means the designated successor. If it is about a 'König' (king), 'Thron' (throne), or 'Monarchie' (monarchy), it means the actual heir to the throne.
EXAMPLE
In der Firma gilt der Sohn des Chefs als Kronprinz und zukünftiger Leiter.
In the company, the boss's son is considered the heir apparent and future director.
Typical usage
In the figurative meaning, a person is often not directly called a 'Kronprinz' (crown prince/heir apparent), but the idea is expressed indirectly. Typical formulations are 'als Kronprinz gelten' (to be considered the heir apparent) or 'als Kronprinz gehandelt werden' (to be talked about as the heir apparent).
EXAMPLE
Er wird schon seit Jahren als Kronprinz für den Parteivorsitz gehandelt.
For years, he has been talked about as the heir apparent for the party leadership.
Compare with
Kronprinz vs Thronfolger
heir to the throne
Kronprinz refers to the official male heir to the throne of a monarchy. Thronfolger is the more general term for the person who will inherit the throne next. When an officially designated male heir is meant, both words can therefore be used, but Kronprinz is more precise.
Kronprinz
Der König stellte seinen ältesten Sohn offiziell als Kronprinzen vor.
The king officially introduced his eldest son as crown prince.
Thronfolger
Nach der Abdankung des Königs übernimmt sein ältester Sohn als Thronfolger die Krone.
After the king's abdication, his eldest son will inherit the crown as heir to the throne.
In real life
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