引き継ぎます（ひきつぎます、hikitsugimasu）
- to take over

The Japanese verb 引き継ぎます引き継ぎます means "to take over," "to inherit," "to succeed," "to pass on," or "to hand over" something. It implies a transfer of responsibility, a task, a role, a property, information, or even a tradition from one person or entity to another. The concept often involves continuity, where something pre-existing is continued or taken up by a new party. This can apply to various contexts, such as businesses, personal projects, cultural practices, or inheriting a family business. The word suggests a smooth transition or a formal handover.

⚫︎ 彼は社長の仕事を引き継ぎます。 Translation: He will take over the president's job. ⚫︎ 新しいチームは、前のチームからプロジェクトを引き継ぎます。 Translation: The new team will take over the project from the previous team. ⚫︎ この伝統は世代から世代へと引き継がれています。 Translation: This tradition is being passed down from generation to generation.

This verb is used in situations where there is a change of hands, a transfer of responsibility, or a continuation of something. It is suitable for both formal and informal contexts, depending on the level of politeness expressed through other grammatical elements. ⚫︎ Often used when discussing job succession, the transfer of duties, or the passing on of information in a professional setting. ⚫︎ Could be used when someone inherits property or responsibilities. ⚫︎ It works for scenarios of inheriting cultural traditions or practices. The verb conjugates to fit the situation. For example, the plain form 引き継ぐ, the present/future tense 引き継ぎます引き継ぎます, the past tense 引き継ぎました, and the negative form 引き継ぎません, etc. are used based on the tense and formality of the context.

⚫︎ The word is typically written as 引き継ぎます引き継ぎます. ⚫︎ Hiragana: ひきつぎます ⚫︎ Kanji: 引き継ぎます ⚫︎ The kanji is used for the verb "to pull" or "to draw" (引き) and "to continue" or "to succeed" (継ぎ). ⚫︎ The okurigana (hiragana following the kanji) is always ぎます, including variations.

⚫︎ 引き受ける (ひきうける) - to take on, to accept (a task or responsibility) ⚫︎ 承継する (しょうけいする) - to inherit, to succeed (more formal, often used in legal contexts) ⚫︎ 受け継ぐ (うけつぐ) - to inherit, to succeed (similar in meaning to 引き継ぐ引き継ぐ, but can imply receiving more passively) ⚫︎ 任せる (まかせる) - to entrust (something to someone)

⚫︎ 手放す (てばなす) - to let go of, to relinquish ⚫︎ 辞退する (じたいする) - to decline, to refuse (a responsibility, position) ⚫︎ 放棄する (ほうきする) - to abandon, to renounce (formal)

来年から、私がこのプロジェクトを引き継ぎます。 ・Translation: Starting next year, I will take over this project. ・Explanation: This sentence clearly expresses the speaker's intention to assume responsibility for the project.

父から会社を引き継ぎました。 ・Translation: I took over the company from my father. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the act of inheriting the family business.

The verb 引き継ぎます引き継ぎます is a combination of two kanji and their meanings. The kanji 引 (ひ) means "to pull" or "to draw." The kanji 継 (つ)ぎ comes from the verb 継ぐ (つぐ), meaning "to continue" or "to succeed." Together, they describe the action of "pulling over" or "taking over" something that is continuing.