How to say "succession" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 連続れんぞくnoun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbCovers 'succession' as a series of things or events following one after another — a succession of victories, accidents, or images. The neutral word for continuous sequences and series.
- 相続そうぞくnoun, suru verb, transitive verbCovers 'succession' in its inheritance sense: legally succeeding to the property or estate of someone who has died. The word for inheritance and estate matters, not for events or positions.
- 後継こうけいno-adjectiveCovers succession in the sense of taking over a position, role, or leadership from a predecessor. Typical contexts are a successor to a company head, a politician, or a master of a craft.
- 承継しょうけいnoun, suru verb, transitive verbA formal word covering succession, accession, and inheritance, used chiefly in legal and business contexts for the transfer of rights, obligations, or status from one party to another.
- 立て続けたてつづけnounDescribes things happening one after another with no interval between them — a back-to-back succession of events. Use it when 'a succession of' carries that sense of an unbroken run.
For a succession of events use 連続, or 「立て続け」 to stress one thing after another; 相続 is inheritance of property, 後継 is succession to a position, and 承継 is the formal word for transfer of rights or accession.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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