sträva

Sträva is a Swedish verb meaning to strive, endeavour, or aspire toward a goal. It denotes persistent effort and aiming for improvement rather than routine work. It is commonly used with the prepositions efter (“to strive for”) and mot (“to strive toward”), as in hon strävar efter att uppnå målet or vi strävar mot högre lönsamhet. The word can describe both personal ambition and organizational aims, and it is frequently found in formal or aspirational contexts.

Conjugation and usage: the infinitive is sträva; present tense strävar; past tense strävade; supine strävat. In compound tenses it forms with ha or har, for example har strävat. The term emphasizes ongoing pursuit rather than simple action.

Etymology and cognates: sträva is native to Swedish and has cognates in other Scandinavian languages, such as Danish stræbe and Norwegian streve. They share a common sense of deliberate pursuit.

Relation to related terms: sträva suggests ambition, idealism, or goal-oriented discipline, and is often contrasted with more practical terms like arbeta (to work). In English, it is commonly translated as “to strive” or “to aspire.” Usage notes: contexts determine whether “to strive for” or “to aspire to” is most natural.

Related concepts: ambition and aspiration.