løbe

Løbe is a Danish verb meaning to run, primarily to move quickly on foot by alternating steps. It is used for people and animals in motion, but it can also describe things that move or flow in a running manner, such as liquids or tears. In addition, løbe can indicate that a machine or engine is operating, as in “motoren løber.”

Conjugation and forms: Infinitiv: at løbe. Præsens: jeg løber, du løber, han/hun/Det løber, vi løber, I løber, de løber. Præteritum: jeg løb. Perfektum participle (supine): løbet. Perfekt: jeg har løbet. Imperativ: løb!

Usage and examples: The most common sense is physical running, used in sport and fitness contexts, for example “Jeg løber hver morgen” or “Jeg træner til et løb.” The noun form, løb, means a run or a race, as in “Et løb” or “Et maratonløb.” Expressions such as “i løbet af dagen” mean during the day, and “tiden løber ud” describes time running out. Løbe is also used for non-human motion and operation, for instance “Døren løber ikke helt” (the door doesn’t operate smoothly) or “Maskinen løber” (the machine runs). The word is common in everyday Danish and appears in sports journalism, weather reports describing rivers or streams that run, and technical descriptions of devices in operation. Related forms include the noun løb (run/race) and the adjective or adverbial phrases derived from the verb.