继承人 (jì chéng rén) — heir, successor, inheritor

Definition

继承人 is a formal, legal term for the person who inherits property, a title, or a role — typically used in wills, law, or business succession. Pairs with 继承 (to inherit); 接班人 focuses on taking over a job or position, not property.

noun
heirsuccessorinheritor
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 继承人。
    Tā shì zhè jiā gōng sī de fǎ dìng jì chéng rén.
    He is the legal heir of this company.
  • 继承人。
    Yí zhǔ zhōng míng què zhǐ dìng le jì chéng rén.
    The will clearly designated the inheritor.
  • 继承人，。
    Zuò wéi wéi yī de jì chéng rén, tā jì chéng le quán bù cái chǎn.
    As the sole successor, he inherited all the property.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

继承inherit
继jìcontinue承chéngreceive
联合Side by side
人rénperson

继 and 承, meaning continue and receive, join 人 to name a person who inherits.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 繼; 继 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìrope
Sound part声符shēngfú
㡭
㡭㡭繼jì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 繼 pairs 糸 (rope) with 㡭 as a sound part; an older form may have shown four silk strands. The simplified 继 is only a later shorthand.

Open 继 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 卩卩jiékneeling person
  • 廾廾gǒngboth hands

承 combines 卩, a kneeling person, and 廾, both hands, to show holding or carrying.

Open 承 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →
Appears in
Law & Justice

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