inherited

[ˌɪnhˈɛrətɪd] /in-ˈher-ət How to pronounce inherit (audio) -ˈhe-rət/ (ame, mw)

inherited — 動詞

  • inheritedpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • inheriteds3rd person singular
  • inheriteding-ing form
  • inheritededpast simple

1. to come to own money, property, or an official position because it passes to you

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

繼承

因家人過世而得到財產或頭銜

to come to own money, property, or an official position because it passes to you when a family member dies

例句

Maja inherited her grandmother's apartment in Tainan last spring.

Maja 去年春天繼承了祖母在臺南的公寓。

inherit + family property after a death

After Uncle Wei died, Hamza inherited the family watch shop.

Uncle Wei 過世後，Hamza 繼承了家裡的鐘錶店。

inherit + business or property

同義詞
  • receive

    broader and less specific; it does not imply a death or family transfer

  • be left

    common everyday wording for property named in a will

  • come into

    more informal, often used for money or property gained unexpectedly

反義詞
  • bequeath

    describes the act of leaving property to someone in a will

  • give away

    describes transferring property while still alive

文法句型

inherit + money/property/title

inherit + noun phrase + from + noun phrase

用法筆記

This sense is used for property, money, land, and titles that pass to someone after a death. It is more specific than simply receiving a gift or payment.

常見錯誤

❌Nkechi inherited a bike from her aunt for her birthday.
✅Nkechi received a bike from her aunt for her birthday.
💡Use 'inherit' only when something passes to you because someone has died.

2. to naturally have a feature, ability, or health condition because it was passed

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

遺傳

天生具有家族傳下來的特徵

to naturally have a feature, ability, or health condition because it was passed down in your family

例句

Noa inherited her father's curly hair and quick smile.

Noa 遺傳了父親的捲髮和燦爛笑容。

inherit + physical trait

Liam inherited asthma from his mother's side of the family.

Liam 從母親那一邊的家族遺傳到了氣喘。

inherit + health condition

同義詞
  • get

    much more general and less exact; it does not specifically suggest family transmission

  • take after

    informal and often used when someone resembles a parent in looks or behavior

  • be born with

    focuses on having the trait from birth rather than the family source

反義詞
  • learn

    describes an ability gained through teaching or practice

  • acquire

    used for something developed later rather than passed down by family

文法句型

inherit + trait/condition

inherit + noun phrase + from + noun phrase

用法筆記

This sense is for qualities that come through family lines, such as appearance, illnesses, or natural abilities. Do not use it for things someone taught you directly.

常見錯誤

❌Ravi inherited French from his mother because she taught him at home.
✅Ravi learned French from his mother because she taught him at home.
💡Use 'inherit' for traits passed through family lines, not for skills taught by another person.

3. to become responsible for a difficult situation that another person created or c

3.動詞及物C1
釋義

接手

接下別人留下的問題或局面

to become responsible for a difficult situation that another person created or could not finish dealing with

例句

Anong inherited a huge debt after buying the restaurant from her cousin.

Anong 從表親手中買下餐廳後，接手了一筆龐大債務。

inherit + existing problem

The new principal inherited several staffing problems at the school.

新校長一上任就接手了學校裡好幾個人事問題。

inherit + workplace problems

同義詞
  • take over

    common and broad; it does not always imply that the situation is troublesome

  • be left with

    stresses the burden of the situation more strongly

  • assume

    more formal and often used for duties or responsibility

反義詞
  • resolve

    to deal with the problem so it no longer remains

  • hand over

    the action of passing the problem or duty to someone else

文法句型

inherit + problem/debt/system/team

inherit + noun phrase + after/when + clause

用法筆記

This sense is usually used for problems, debt, weak systems, or difficult jobs that someone takes over from another person. Distinguish it from sense 1, which is about legal or family transfer after a death.

常見錯誤

❌Lan inherited tomorrow's team meeting from her manager.
✅Lan took over tomorrow's team meeting from her manager.
💡Use this sense for ongoing problems or burdens, not for any ordinary task that is simply handed over.