Kørende

Kørende is a Danish term that functions as the present participle of the verb køre, meaning to drive or operate. As an adjective or participial phrase, kørende describes something that is currently in motion or in operation. It is commonly used to characterize vehicles or machinery that are active, rather than stationary.

In Danish grammar, the -ende participle form is used to indicate ongoing action or state, and kørende is the form applied to masculine and neuter nouns in attributive or predicative positions. Typical usages include phrases such as en kørende bil (a car that is in operation), et kørende tog (a train in service), or en kørende maskine (an operating machine). The construction can appear attributively before a noun or as a predicate complement in certain contexts.

Cognates and variants appear in related Scandinavian languages. In Norwegian, the equivalent form is often kjørende, reflecting a small spelling difference, while Swedish uses körande. Despite these differences, the core meaning remains the same: indicating driving, movement, or ongoing operation.

Usage and scope: The term is common in transport reports, industry descriptions, and everyday speech when distinguishing between equipment that is active and equipment that is idle. It can be used to describe vehicles, machinery, and systems in operation. In more formal contexts, alternative phrasing such as i drift (in operation) or i gang (in process) may be preferred. Kørende thus serves as a concise way to convey active status in Danish.