Lopende

Lopende is the present participle and adjective form of the Dutch verb lopen (to walk or to run). It is used to describe something that is in progress, currently operating, or continuing over time. The form is typically written as lopende and is used before nouns in attributive position, for example lopende kosten (ongoing costs), lopende rekening (current account), and lopende processen (ongoing processes). In these expressions, lopende signals that the described item is not completed or fixed, but is active or developing.

Etymologically, lopende is derived from lopen with the participial suffix -ende. It shares this morphological pattern with other Dutch present participles, where the suffix denotes ongoing action or state. The same root yields related forms in other Germanic languages and appears in Afrikaans with similar meaning.

Usage notes:

- It is primarily an attributive adjective before a noun (de lopende band, lopende zaken).

- It can also appear in set phrases that emphasize continuity, time, or operation.

- The word should be distinguished from the past participle gelopen, which is used in perfect tenses (Ik heb gelopen) or in contexts referring to completed movement.

In Dutch, lopende phenomena are common in financial, industrial, and administrative language, where the notion of continuity or current status is important. The term helps convey that an item is not finalized and remains subject to change or ongoing activity.