Have you been seeing the term "forced heirship" in the news frequently lately? The Legislative Yuan recently passed amendments to the Civil Code, removing the "forced heirship" (reserved portion) provisions for brothers and sisters. This is great news for many single people and DINK (double income, no kids) couples, because going forward, they can finally distribute their assets entirely according to their own wishes, without worrying that relatives they rarely keep in touch with will step in to claim a share of the inheritance after they pass away.
However, when watching Western TV shows or discussing estate planning and drafting wills with international friends, how do you express these legal terms in authentic English? Today, Loopy will guide you through this hot news topic so you can learn highly practical vocabulary for inheritance and estate planning all at once!
Only know how to say "money" for money left behind? Use these authentic expressions instead
When it comes to wealth left behind after death, the first words that pop into many people's minds might be "money" or "property." While people will understand what you mean if you say that, if you want to express the legal concept of "inheriting wealth," you can use inheritance or estate in English.
Simply put, estate refers to the "total sum of all assets" left behind by a person after death (including houses, land, stocks, savings, etc.); while inheritance leans more toward the specific "assets or property received through succession."
Let's look at the difference between unnatural English and authentic English:
✗ He got a lot of money from his rich uncle's death. ✓ He received a large inheritance from his uncle.
✓ She has a lot of real estate, but very little cash.
If you want to express "property planning," the English term is estate planning. Whether for young people or seniors, doing estate planning early is a very responsible move!
How do you say "drafting a will" in English? "Will" isn't just a future tense marker!
A written testament is called a will in English—yes, the very same word "will" you learned in middle school! When used as a noun, it means a "will" or "personal wish." If you want to express "making a will," you can pair it with verbs like "make," "write," or "draft."
Let's look at a common mistake many learners make:
✗ I need to write my death paper. ✓ I need to make a will.
There is also a very common legal phrase in English called Last Will and Testament, which appears super frequently in Western TV shows and movies, referring to a person's final legal declaration.
Example sentence: ✓ He updated his will to ensure his life savings go to charity.
Since a will is created, it must specify who gets the assets; this person is called a beneficiary in English.
Example sentence: ✓ You can name anyone as the beneficiary of your life insurance policy.
"Forced heirship" is super professional! How native speakers understand Taiwan's new law
How do you translate the key term "特留分" from the news into English? In legal English, the corresponding terms for this concept are forced heirship or reserved portion.
This system was originally designed to take care of family members, but as the number of single people and DINK couples in modern society increases, laws are evolving with the times. If you want to explain Taiwan's recent legal amendment to international friends, you can express it like this:
✗ Taiwan changed the law about family money. ✓ Taiwan updated its civil law to abolish forced heirship for siblings.
Example sentence: ✓ The new law gives people full freedom over their estate planning.
With this legal change, people can now use a will to freely designate a beneficiary, ensuring their love and assets go to the people they truly care about.
💡 Quick Memory Hacks: Key Inheritance Vocabulary
Finally, Loopy has summarized the highlights of today's legal and inheritance English lesson. Remember these core vocabulary items, and you'll easily level up your English when reading news or watching TV shows:
- Estate: A person's "total assets/estate" (including real estate, stocks, and savings).
- Inheritance: Refers to "assets received through succession" (focusing on the dynamic outcome acquired by an individual).
- Will: As a noun, it means "will"; to make a will, use make/write a will.
- Beneficiary: The "beneficiary" designated in a will or insurance policy.
- Forced heirship: The legal concept of "forced heirship / reserved portion."
Understanding these authentic English terms early not only expands your legal English vocabulary but also enables you to communicate and plan from a more professional perspective when facing important life decisions! See you next time!