mitführe

Mitführen is a German verb formed from mit- (with) and führen (to lead). It means to accompany someone or something while moving from one place to another, or to escort a person as part of a group, and can also be used in a broader sense to accompany someone in a process or activity. The nuance ranges from physical accompaniment to figurative support.

Grammatical notes: Mitführen is separable, so in present tense main clauses the prefix is separated: ich führe dich mit, du führst mich mit, er führt die Gruppe mit. The past participle is mitgeführt, yielding ich habe dich mitgeführt, and the future is formed with werden: ich werde dich mitführen. In subordinate clauses the word order follows standard German rules, with the prefix typically at the end of the infinitive clause.

Related forms and terminology: The noun die Mitführung denotes the act of accompanying or the accompanying itself; der Mitführer/die Mitführerin refers to a co-leader or escort. In logistics or event planning, Mitführung can describe the process of moving personnel or participants along a route or protocol.

Usage contexts: The term is common in travel, tours, or guiding contexts (Der Guide führt die Gruppe mit). It can also appear in formal or legal settings where a person is required to accompany another, such as witnesses or officials, or in project management to indicate joint participation. It is important to distinguish mitführen from similar verbs like mitgehen (to go along with someone) and mitnehmen (to take along to a place); mitführen emphasizes accompaniment during movement and handling.

Note on spelling: The concatenated form mitführe is not standard modern German; the correct base form is mitführen, with inflected forms written as separate words in present tense.