Bedeutung
To be exposed to potential danger.
Kultureller Hintergrund
The Dutch are famous for their 'poldermodel' and consensus-seeking. This means they spend a lot of time discussing every 'risico' they might 'lopen' before making a decision. It's a very risk-averse culture. Flemish speakers use the phrase identically, but they might be slightly more formal in their choice of surrounding vocabulary. The distinction between 'lopen' and 'nemen' remains just as strict. In Surinamese Dutch, the phrase is used but sometimes mixed with more colorful expressions for danger, though 'risico lopen' remains the standard for official or serious warnings. In Dutch startups, there is a push to 'risico's nemen' (take risks), but the legal departments are always focused on the 'risico's' that the company 'loopt'. This creates a linguistic tension between the two verbs.
The 'Passive' Rule
Always use 'lopen' when the danger is something that happens TO you, not something you choose.
No 'Hebben'
Dutch people rarely say 'ik heb een risico'. They almost always 'walk' it.
Bedeutung
To be exposed to potential danger.
The 'Passive' Rule
Always use 'lopen' when the danger is something that happens TO you, not something you choose.
No 'Hebben'
Dutch people rarely say 'ik heb een risico'. They almost always 'walk' it.
Use with 'op'
The most natural preposition to follow this phrase is 'op' (e.g., risico op regen).
Insurance Talk
If you want to sound very Dutch, talk about the risks you 'loopt' and how you are insured for them.
Teste dich selbst
Kies het juiste werkwoord: lopen of nemen?
Als je in de zon zit zonder zonnebrand, ___ je een risico op verbranden.
You don't choose to get burned, so it's a passive risk: 'lopen'.
Vul de juiste vorm van 'lopen' in (let op de tijd!).
Gisteren ___ wij het risico dat de winkel al dicht was.
The sentence is in the past tense ('gisteren'), and the subject is 'wij'.
Match de zin met de situatie.
1. 'U loopt risico op een boete.' 2. 'Je loopt het risico dat je soep koud wordt.' 3. 'We lopen het risico op vertraging.'
These are common contexts for the phrase.
Maak de dialoog af.
A: 'Zal ik deze oude auto kopen?' B: 'Ik zou het niet doen. Je ___ het risico dat hij morgen kapot gaat.'
The risk of the car breaking is a passive danger of the situation.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenAls je in de zon zit zonder zonnebrand, ___ je een risico op verbranden.
You don't choose to get burned, so it's a passive risk: 'lopen'.
Gisteren ___ wij het risico dat de winkel al dicht was.
The sentence is in the past tense ('gisteren'), and the subject is 'wij'.
1. 'U loopt risico op een boete.' 2. 'Je loopt het risico dat je soep koud wordt.' 3. 'We lopen het risico op vertraging.'
These are common contexts for the phrase.
A: 'Zal ik deze oude auto kopen?' B: 'Ik zou het niet doen. Je ___ het risico dat hij morgen kapot gaat.'
The risk of the car breaking is a passive danger of the situation.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
12 FragenYes, but 'Ik loop gevaar' (without 'een') is much more common and sounds more natural.
You can never use 'rennen' (to run fast) in this idiom. It is always 'lopen'.
It is neutral. It's used in both news reports and casual chats with friends.
No, 'risico' is inherently negative. Use 'kans maken' for positive possibilities.
That is 'op eigen risico'. Note that 'lopen' is not used in that specific short phrase.
Both are fine. Use the plural if there are multiple different dangers.
Dutch uses 'lopen' for processes and 'staan' for static positions. Risk is seen as a process you are in.
Yes, this is a perfect B1-level sentence.
It means an 'increased risk', very common in medical contexts.
No, you can say 'Ik loop risico', but 'een risico' is more common in singular usage.
Yes, it is standard Dutch used in both the Netherlands and Flanders.
Being safe: 'veilig zijn' or 'geen risico lopen'.
Verwandte Redewendungen
een risico nemen
contrastTo intentionally take a risk.
gevaar lopen
similarTo be in danger.
op het spel staan
similarTo be at stake.
het risico uitsluiten
contrastTo exclude/eliminate the risk.
een berekend risico
specialized formA calculated risk.
