fortschreiben

Fortschreiben is a German verb meaning to continue writing, to carry on writing, or to update and extend a document, text, or dataset. It is used when content is added to an existing work or when plans and projections are revised. The term is common in administration, publishing, and data handling.

Fortschreiben is formed from fort- (forward, onward) and schreiben (to write). It is a separable verb in the present tense: ich schreibe den Text fort; er schreibt den Bericht fort. In the perfect tense the prefix remains attached: ich habe den Text fortgeschrieben. The past participle is fortgeschrieben.

Typical applications include updating plans, forecasts, or reports, or continuing a narrative in a manuscript. Examples: Wir schreiben den Bericht fort, um neue Ergebnisse zu integrieren. Die Stadtverwaltung schreibt den Flächennutzungsplan fort. Such usage is common in formal or technical contexts where an ongoing document receives revisions or additions.

Noun form Fortschreibung denotes the process or result of such updating or extension, for example die Fortschreibung des Haushaltsplans or die Fortschreibung der Bevölkerungsprognose. The term often appears in official or planning contexts and implies a formal revision rather than a mere continuation.

Related terms include Fortsetzung (continuation) and Aktualisierung (updating). Fortschreiben emphasizes extending an existing text or dataset by adding new information, rather than starting a completely new work.