to bequeath / pass on
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to bequeath
To pass on one's possessions, such as money or property, to a person or organization after one's death.
Meine Großmutter hat mir ihre wertvolle Uhrensammlung vererbt.
My grandmother bequeathed me her valuable watch collection.
to pass on
To pass on biological traits, characteristics, or diseases genetically to one's descendants.
Er hat die roten Haare von seiner Mutter vererbt bekommen.
He got his red hair passed on from his mother.
to be inherited
Describes that a trait or disease is hereditary and is passed on from one generation to the next.
Die Neigung zu dieser Krankheit kann sich in der Familie vererben.
The tendency toward this disease can be inherited in the family.
The verb 'vererben' (to bequeath/pass on) is the counterpart to 'erben' (to inherit). 'Erben' means to receive something, while 'vererben' means to give something away. The prefix 'ver-' reverses the direction of the action here.
Er wird das Haus seiner Eltern erben.
He will inherit his parents' house.
'Vererben' (to bequeath/pass on) often takes two objects: the person who receives something is in the dative (to whom?), and the thing that is passed on is in the accusative (what?). The structure is: subject vererbt [dative] [accusative].
Der Großvater hat seinem Enkel (Dativ) eine goldene Uhr (Akkusativ) vererbt.
The grandfather bequeathed his grandson (dative) a gold watch (accusative).
Whether the legal or biological meaning is intended can be recognized from the accusative object. If it is about money, possessions, or real estate, the legal meaning is intended. If it is about traits, diseases, or talents, the biological meaning is intended.
Er hat seinem Sohn ein Vermögen vererbt.
He bequeathed a fortune to his son.
In the reflexive form 'sich vererben' (to be inherited/to be passed down), the trait or disease is the subject of the sentence. This construction emphasizes that being passed on is a characteristic of the trait itself.
Diese seltene Augenfarbe vererbt sich nur über mehrere Generationen.
This rare eye color is only inherited over several generations.
to leave / bequeath
Hinterlassen and vererben can both express that property is passed on to others after someone's death. Vererben specifically refers to deliberately passing property on to a person or organization; hinterlassen can mention this transfer more generally without emphasizing the deliberate bequest. Use vererben for a clear bequest and hinterlassen for a more general statement.
Der Großvater wollte seinen Enkeln das kleine Haus vererben.
The grandfather wanted to leave the small house to his grandchildren.
Nach ihrem Tod hinterließ sie ihrer Familie ein kleines Haus.
After her death, she left her family a small house.
