相続
Meaning in Englishinheritance, succession
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
相続 means inheritance; it refers to the legal mechanism by which heirs receive the decedent's assets and assume related obligations under Japanese civil law.
Main meanings
- In the legal sense, the transfer of assets, rights, and obligations from a deceased person to heirs according to civil law and wills.
- The act of succession or continuation of a family or business line through heirs or designated successors.
- In everyday legal discussions, the term often appears in phrases like 相続税 or 相続人 to denote tax and heirs respectively.
How to use it
Used in formal legal, financial, and governmental contexts to refer to the transfer of assets to heirs; appears in wills, probate filings, civil-code discussions, and tax planning; used with related terms such as 相続税 and 相続人.
Variants and close terms
- 継承 (keishō) – keishō, inheritance or succession, used in legal and everyday contexts
- 相続人 (sozokunin) – sozokunin, heirs
- 遺産相続 (isan sozoku) – isan sozoku, inheritance of an estate
Composition
- 相: mutual, in relation to
- 続: to continue or follow
Etymology
on'yomi readings: sō + zoku; a Sino-Japanese compound combining components that convey mutual relation and continuation, which merged into the modern legal term for passing assets and rights to heirs.
Origin
Introduced into Japanese civil law during the modern era, with the Meiji government's codification of the Civil Code (late 19th century), drawing on earlier Chinese legal concepts that influenced Japanese estate and succession practices.
Word class
Noun (名詞)