fortzuführen

Fortführen is a German verb meaning to continue something that has been started, to carry on a process, project, or narrative. It is used when the action of leading or developing something forward is intended, often over a longer span or with a plan in mind.

Etymology and forms: the verb combines the stem führen (to lead) with the separable prefix fort-, which conveys the idea of continuing forward. In conjugation the prefix can be separated in tenses: er führt fort, er führte fort, die Studie wird fortgeführt. In infinitive constructions with zu, the standard form is fortzuführen (for example: Es ist notwendig, die Geschichte fortzuführen). The related past participle fortgeführt is used in perfect tenses or passive constructions.

Usage and nuance: fortführen is common in formal, academic, and journalistic writing. It often implies a deliberate continuation of a process or line of development that has already begun, as opposed to simply starting again. It can be synonymous with fortsetzen or weiterführen, though each verb carries subtle nuance: fortführen emphasizes carrying an ongoing effort forward, fortsetzen is a more neutral term for continuing, and weiterführen is another common variant with a slightly broader sense of continuing onward.

Noun form and related terms: the noun Fortführung denotes the continuation or sequel of an activity, study, or discourse (for example, Fortführung der Untersuchung). Related terms include Fortsetzung (in the sense of a sequel or continuation in narrative form) and Weiterführung (a more general term for continuing something further).

See also: Fortführung, Fortsetzung, Weiterführung.