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後継 (こうけい, koukei) Japanese meaning: succession | Kotomora

後こう継けい

こ

う

け

い

Common word›Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

succession; taking over

Refers to the act or process of succeeding someone in a role, position, or business. Often used in formal or organizational contexts.

社しゃ長ちょうの後こう継けいが決きまった。

The succession of the company president has been decided.

後こう継けい者しゃを育そだてるのは大たい変へんだ。

It is difficult to train a successor.

2

successor; heir

Refers to the person who succeeds another. Often used in compounds like 後継者, but can stand alone in formal writing.

彼かれは創そう業ぎょう者しゃの後こう継けいとして指し名めいされた。
He was named as the successor to the founder.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉を後こう継けい者しゃに指し名めいするto name someone as one's successor
社しゃ長ちょうは息子むすこを後こう継けい者しゃに指し名めいした。
The president named his son as his successor.
後こう継けい者しゃを育そだてるto groom or train a successor
会かい社しゃは次つぎの後こう継けい者しゃを育そだてることに力ちからを入いれている。
The company is focusing on training its next successor.
〈人ひと〉の後こう継けいとしてas someone's successor
彼かれは父ちちの後こう継けいとして会かい社しゃを継ついだ。
He took over the company as his father's successor.
後こう継けい体たい制せいを整ととのえるto establish a succession system or plan
会かい社しゃは後こう継けい体たい制せいを整ととのえるため、新あたらしい役やく員いんを任にん命めいした。
後こう継けい争あらそいが起おこるfor a succession dispute to arise
会かい社しゃでは後こう継けい争あらそいが起おこっている。
A succession dispute has broken out at the company.

Kanji

後behind, back, later
継inherit, succeed, continue

Related words

後こう任にん sense 2
後任 refers specifically to the person who takes over a particular post or duty, while 後継 covers both the act of succession and the successor, often with a broader institutional nuance.
継けい承しょう sense 1
継承 emphasizes inheriting abstract things like traditions, rights, or culture, whereas 後継 focuses on succession in a role or position.
承しょう継けい sense 1
承継 is a formal legal term for transferring rights or obligations, while 後継 is the more general word for succeeding someone in a role.
世せ襲しゅう sense 1
世襲 specifically means hereditary succession passed down within a family, whereas 後継 does not imply blood relation.

Opposites

先せん代だいN1sense 2
先代 means the previous holder of a position, the opposite of 後継, the one who takes over next.

Don't confuse with

後こう見けん
後見 means guardianship or backing someone in a role, not succeeding them, so it is easily confused with 後継 due to the shared 後 kanji but has a different meaning.

Counted with

人にん sense 2
When 後継 refers to the successor as a person, it is counted with 人 like any other person, e.g. 後継者が一人いる.

Word family

後こう継けい機き
successor model; later model
後こう継けい者しゃ
successor

Etymology

Compound of 後 (after, later) and 継 (succeed, inherit). The word is a Sino-Japanese term (kango) formed from kanji components.

The company appointed new executives to establish a succession plan.