strádat

Strádat is a verb used in Czech and Slovak that means to suffer, to be in distress, or to be deprived; to languish. It is used for physical, emotional, or material hardship and can describe people, communities, or situations. The action is typically ongoing or habitual rather than a single incident.

In Czech, present tense forms include já strádám, ty strádáš, on strádá; past tense forms include strádal, strádala, strádalo, strádali. The imperfective nature means it describes continuous states rather than a single event. In Slovak, strádať is used similarly, with analogous conjugation, and can appear in phrases like strádajú hladom or strádajú chudobou. It is commonly found in formal or literary styles and in reporting about crises or poverty; in everyday speech it is often replaced by trpieť or byť v núdzi depending on nuance.

Etymology and related terms: The word is of Slavic origin and has cognates across Slavic languages. The noun strádání (Czech) and strádanie (Slovak) denote the state of suffering or hardship; the present participle strádajúci describes those who suffer. The term can be used alongside synonyms such as trpět (to suffer) or být v nouzi (to be in need) to express similar ideas with slightly different emphasis.

See also: The concept is related to broader discussions of poverty and hardship in literature, journalism, and social science.