leiten
to lead
To have responsibility for an organization, department, project, or group and to lead and organize it.
EXAMPLE
Sie leitet das Unternehmen seit über zehn Jahren erfolgreich.
She has successfully led the company for over ten years.
leiten
to lead / conduct
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Meanings
leiten
to conduct
To transport or transmit energy such as electricity or heat, but also sound or light, from one place to another.
EXAMPLE
Metalle wie Kupfer und Silber leiten elektrischen Strom besonders gut.
Metals such as copper and silver conduct electric current especially well.
leiten
to direct
To guide or direct someone or something in a particular direction. Often used in the context of traffic or liquids.
EXAMPLE
Die Polizei musste den Verkehr um die Unfallstelle leiten.
The police had to direct traffic around the accident site.
leiten
to lead
To moderate and run a discussion, meeting, or event.
EXAMPLE
Der Professor wird das Seminar am Nachmittag leiten.
The professor will lead the seminar in the afternoon.
sich leiten lassen
to be guided
To allow one's decisions and actions to be influenced by a particular principle, feeling, or motive.
EXAMPLE
In schwierigen Situationen sollte man sich nicht nur von seinen Emotionen leiten lassen.
In difficult situations, you should not be guided only by your emotions.
Usage tips
Word family
'Leiten' (to lead / conduct) is the base verb for many words related to leadership and direction. These include 'die Leitung' (management; pipe), 'der Leiter' (leader), and verbs with prefixes such as 'umleiten' (to redirect) or 'einleiten' (to introduce/initiate).
EXAMPLE
Die Leitung der Firma hat entschieden, neue Mitarbeiter einzustellen.
The management of the company has decided to hire new employees.
Typical collocations
In the meaning 'führen' (to lead), 'leiten' is often combined with organizations or events. Typical phrases are: 'ein Unternehmen leiten' (to lead a company), 'eine Abteilung leiten' (to lead a department), 'ein Projekt leiten' (to lead a project), or 'eine Sitzung leiten' (to lead a meeting).
EXAMPLE
Er leitet ein kleines Team von Softwareentwicklern.
He leads a small team of software developers.
Context: physics
In a technical or physical context, 'leiten' means to transmit energy. Signal words for this are 'Strom' (current/electricity), 'Wärme' (heat), 'Energie' (energy), or names of materials such as 'Metall' (metal).
EXAMPLE
Salzwasser leitet elektrischen Strom.
Salt water conducts electric current.
Context: giving direction
This meaning describes guiding in a physical direction. For example, you can say 'den Verkehr leiten' (to direct traffic), 'Wasser durch ein Rohr leiten' (to channel water through a pipe), or 'Besucher durch ein Museum leiten' (to guide visitors through a museum).
EXAMPLE
Ein Polizist leitete den Verkehr an der Kreuzung.
A police officer directed traffic at the intersection.
Reflexive construction
The expression 'sich leiten lassen' (to be guided) is reflexive and is used with the preposition 'von' + dative. It means that one allows one's actions to be influenced by a principle, feeling, or person.
EXAMPLE
Bei wichtigen Entscheidungen lasse ich mich gerne von Experten beraten.
When making important decisions, I like to get advice from experts.
Compare with
leiten vs führen
to lead
Both words can express that someone or something moves in a particular direction. „Führen“ tends to emphasize personally accompanying or directly guiding someone or something, while „leiten“ can also refer to indicating a direction without accompanying it. Use „führen“ for direct accompaniment and „leiten“ when only the direction is being determined.
leiten
Die Schilder leiten die Besucher durch den abgesperrten Bereich zum Ausgang.
The signs direct the visitors through the restricted area to the exit.
führen
Die Polizistin führt die Besucher durch den abgesperrten Bereich zum Ausgang.
The police officer leads the visitors through the restricted area to the exit.
In real life
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