Erbe
/ˈɛrbə/masculine
The German word for heir is Erbe.
Erbe refers to a person who is designated to inherit or who actually inherits the property or assets of another. Depending on the grammatical context, it can also refer to the inheritance itself.
Meaning: one who inherits, or is designated to inherit, the property of another (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word Erbe can mean both the person who inherits (the heir) and the thing that is inherited (the inheritance).
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form is Erbe. To refer to a female heir, use Erbin. If you are talking about multiple heirs, use the plural form Erben.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɛrbə/
Did you know?
- While Erbe refers to the person inheriting, the word Welterbe describes a 'World Heritage' site. In this context, the 'heir' is humanity as a whole, inheriting the site for future generations.
- In German legal terminology, the concept of Gesamtrechtsnachfolge means that the Erbe does not just inherit assets, but also all the debts and legal obligations of the deceased.
- The word Erbe is a distant linguistic cousin to the English word 'work', seen in the German word Arbeit.
Examples in context
- Er starb ohne Erben.He died without an heir.This sentence is useful for describing a situation where someone died without an Erbe.Tatoeba #7452363 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2905549 by Hybrid
- Tom wird einmal ein großes Vermögen erben.Tom is the heir to a large fortune.This sentence illustrates someone who is destined to inherit a fortune as an Erbe.Tatoeba #11165492 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #8305367 by Hybrid
- Die Türkei ist der Erbe des Osmanischen Reiches.Turkey is the heir of the Ottoman Empire.This sentence uses Erbe to describe a country as the successor or heir to an empire.Tatoeba #3107520 by Manfredo, translation #1268417 by AKINCI81
- Ich bin der Erbe meines Großvaters.I am my grandfather's heir.
- Der Erbberechtigte wird das Unternehmen erben.The heir will inherit the company.
- Der Nachfolger des Königs wird erwartet.The heir to the throne is expected.
- Bist du der Erbe deiner Tante?Are you the heir of your aunt?
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Sarah are talking about a family legal matter.
- JulianWer ist eigentlich der rechtmäßige Erbe?Who is actually the rightful heir?
- SarahDas ist im Testament genau beschrieben.That is described exactly in the will.
- JulianIch glaube, sein Sohn ist der Erbe.I believe his son is the heir.
- SarahJa, das stimmt wahrscheinlich.Yes, that is probably correct.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “heir” translations and entries Erbe, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Erbe, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
