Abkömmling

descendant

noun AP-koeml-ing Rare

Also means

offspring

Usage Note

Abkömmling is a somewhat formal or literary word for a person descended from another. In legal German it is used in inheritance law: Abkömmlinge are children, grandchildren, and further direct descendants who are entitled heirs (Pflichtteilsberechtigte).

Examples

"Die Abkömmlinge des Gründers halten noch immer Anteile am Unternehmen."

Natural Translation

The founder's descendants still hold shares in the company.

Literal Translation

The descendants of the founder hold still shares at the company.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

Du vs. Sie: When to Use Each in German

Use Sie with strangers, elders, and at work; use du with friends, family, kids, and peers. Here's how to pick the right German you every time.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Der, Die, Das: Rules to Guess German Gender

German noun gender rules made simple: check the suffix first, then meaning. Endings like -ung, -chen, and -ling predict der, die, or das with ~90% accuracy.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Adjective Endings Made Simple

German adjective endings come down to one question, not three tables: does the article already show gender and case? If yes, the adjective stays lazy.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Days, Months & Seasons (am, im & -tag)

Days of the week in German use am, months and seasons use im — plus the -tag pattern, capitalized nouns, and how to build a real sentence with a day.

June 5, 2026 4 min read