leiteten

Leiten is a German verb meaning to lead, direct, or manage. It is used for guiding people, organizations, projects, or processes, and can also refer to directing flows or lines in technical contexts. The past tense form leiteten is the simple past (Präteritum) for the first person plural wir leiteten and the third person plural sie leiteten, and it is commonly found in written narration, reports, and historical accounts.

In everyday use, leitet appears in present tense as er/sie/es leitet and wir leiten, for example: Der Manager leitet das Team; Wir leiten das Projekt seit Januar. The past participle of leiten is geleitet, used with auxiliary haben to form the present perfect: Das Unternehmen hat die Abteilung geleitet.

Leitung is a related noun with several meanings: it can denote leadership or management (die Leitung eines Unternehmens), or a physical line or cable (die Stromleitung, die Leitung). Other related forms include der Leiter (the manager or director) and die Leitungen (the lines or leaderships). The verb is cognate with Dutch leiden and English lead, reflecting their common Germanic roots.

Usage notes: leiten is typically used for directing ongoing activities or responsibilities, and leiteten appears mainly in past-tense descriptions of multiple subjects or groups acting together. In formal writing, leiteten often appears with a concerted action, such as committees, teams, or organizations guiding a process or investigation.