verb

streben

strives · strive

Sich stark bemühen, ein Ziel zu erreichen oder besser zu werden.

Definition & meaning

streben is a German verb meaning to strive, aspire, or make persistent efforts toward a goal.

nach etwas streben means “to strive for something” or “to aspire to something”:
Sie strebt nach beruflichem Erfolg. — “She strives for professional success.”
danach streben, etwas zu tun means “to strive to do something”:
Er strebt danach, die beste Lösung zu finden. — “He strives to find the best solution.”
In a more literary or figurative sense, streben can mean to reach or extend toward something, especially upward or in a particular direction:
Die Zweige streben zum Licht. — “The branches reach toward the light.”

The word usually suggests a strong, sustained ambition or effort, rather than a single attempt.

Grammar & Word origin

streben is an intransitive, weak verb:

Present: ich strebe, du strebst, er/sie strebt
Simple past: strebte
Past participle: gestrebt
Auxiliary verb: haben

The most common construction is nach + dative:

nach Erfolg streben — to strive for success
nach Freiheit streben — to strive for freedom

It can also be used with danach streben, ... zu + infinitive.

The verb comes from Old High German strebēn and is related to the idea of stretching, extending, or exerting oneself toward something. It is not a compound, so it has no separable prefix.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

sich bemühen — to make an effort; more general and often less ambitious than streben
sich anstrengen — to exert oneself; emphasizes effort rather than a long-term goal
anstreben — to pursue or aim for a specific objective; more direct and goal-oriented
trachten — to strive for or seek; formal, literary, and usually used with nach
sich bemühen um — to work toward or try to obtain something; often more practical than streben

Antonyms

aufgeben — to give up; the direct opposite of continuing to strive
verzichten auf — to renounce or do without something; emphasizes deliberately abandoning a goal or benefit
sich zufriedengeben mit — to settle for something; contrasts with striving for something better or higher
untätig bleiben — to remain inactive; contrasts with the active effort expressed by streben

Common phrases & collocations

nach Erfolg streben — to strive for success
nach Glück streben — to strive for happiness
nach Freiheit streben — to strive for freedom
nach Macht streben — to strive for power
nach Perfektion streben — to strive for perfection
danach streben, etwas zu erreichen [?](vocabuo://word danach streben%2C etwas zu erreichen) — to strive to achieve something
höher streben — to aspire to something higher; also used figuratively or poetically