Stræbes

Stræbes is a Danish verb form derived from the verb stræbe, which means to strive or to endeavor. In Danish grammar, stræbes is typically used as a present tense passive or in impersonal constructions to indicate ongoing effort. It appears most often in formal, policy-related, or organizational prose, rather than in everyday speech where the active voice is more common.

In use, stræbes expresses collective or general striving rather than a specific agent performing an action. Common contexts include discussions of social aims, governance, or organizational goals. For example: Der stræbes efter bedre arbejdsvilkår. This translates to “Efforts are being made to improve working conditions.” Another example is: Organisationen stræbes mod større gennemsigtighed, meaning “The organization strives for greater transparency.”

Etymologically, stræbes is linked to the core Danish verb stræbe, sharing its semantic field of aiming, pursuing, and exerting effort. The form aligns with parallel passive or impersonal constructions found in other North Germanic languages, where related verbs convey similar notions of ongoing striving.

See also: stræbe, the base verb; related Danish passive and impersonal verb forms; contrast with active constructions such as stræber, which foreground a specific subject performing the striving.

Overall, stræbes functions as a formal linguistic tool to express ongoing collective effort or policy-oriented aims in Danish discourse, and is most common in written and institutional contexts.