fortløbende

Fortløbende is a Danish adjective and adverb meaning ongoing, continuous, or proceeding without interruption, and it can also imply sequential development in some contexts. The term is commonly used in administrative, legal, corporate, and project-management language to describe tasks, processes, or changes that occur over time without a defined end point. The word combines the prefix fort- (forward, continuing) with løbende, the present participle of løbe (to run), giving the sense of something that runs forward and continues.

As an adjective, fortløbende describes things that happen in an ongoing way: fortløbende ændringer (ongoing changes), fortløbende overvågning (continuous monitoring). As an adverb, it can describe how actions are performed: arbejde fortløbende (to work continuously), kommunikation fortløbende (continuous communication). In many contexts it is paired with nouns to emphasize continuity rather than a completed state, distinguishing it from terms like midlertidig or afsluttet.

In project management and reporting, fortløbende opfølgning or fortløbende rapportering signals that follow-ups or reports occur on an ongoing basis rather than at fixed milestones. The term should not be confused with konsekutiv or sekventiel, which emphasize order or sequence rather than continuity.

Related terms include løbende (ongoing), kontinuerlig (continuous), and vedvarende (permanent/long-lasting). Fortløbende is widely understood in Danish formal and semi-formal contexts and is preferred for describing processes without a predetermined end date.