Breakdown of Wir leiten ein Unternehmen langer Tradition.
ein
a, an (eine)
wir
we
lang
long
das Unternehmen
the company (enterprise)
Questions & Answers about Wir leiten ein Unternehmen langer Tradition.
Why does langer end in -er here?
The phrase langer Tradition is in the genitive case, meaning "of long tradition." Because there is no article before it (a "zero article" situation), the adjective lang has to do the heavy lifting to show the case and gender. Since Tradition is a feminine noun, the correct zero-article genitive ending for the adjective is -er.
Why isn't there a word for "of" before langer Tradition?
In German, the genitive case itself expresses the idea of "of" or possession. Just by applying the correct genitive adjective ending, the phrase automatically translates to "of long tradition." You don't need to add a preposition like von.
Why is it ein Unternehmen and not einen?
The verb leiten takes a direct object in the accusative case. The noun Unternehmen (company) is neuter (das Unternehmen). In the accusative case, neuter nouns use the article ein, whereas masculine nouns would change to use einen.
Does leiten always mean "to manage"?
The core meaning of leiten is "to lead," "to direct," or "to guide." However, when you are talking about a business (Unternehmen), a department, or a team, it is the standard and most natural verb to express "to manage" or "to run."