pyrkivä

Pyrkivä is a Finnish present active participle derived from the verb pyrkiä, meaning to strive, to aim, or to aspire. In Finnish grammar it primarily functions as an adjective, describing someone who is actively striving toward a goal or standard. A pyrkivä person is an aspiring or ambitious person; the term emphasizes ongoing effort rather than finished achievement. For example, pyrkivä opiskelija can refer to a student who is actively working toward higher goals.

The word can also be used for groups or efforts, to convey a sense of striving or ambition within a project or organization. The nuance is often aspirational, and sometimes conveys self-improvement or future-oriented intent. In everyday speech, it may be replaced by semantic equivalents such as kunnianhimoinen or ahkera, depending on context.

Etymology and related forms: pyrkivä is formed from the verb pyrkiä ('to strive') with the present active participle suffix -vä. Related terms include pyrkiä, pyrkimys ('aspiration'), and kunnianhimo ('ambition'). The word can be declined as an attributive adjective, taking appropriate endings for number and case, e.g., pyrkivä henkilö (singular), pyrkivät henkilöt (plural). The noun form pyrkijä ('striver') exists in Finnish and carries a similar meaning.

See also: pyrkiä, pyrkimys, kunnianhimo, pyrkijä.