esforzar

to strive

verb es-fohr-SAHR Rare

Also means

to make an effort

Usage Note

Esforzar is almost always used reflexively as esforzarse ('to strive', 'to make an effort'), followed by en or por plus an infinitive: se esfuerza por mejorar ('she strives to improve'). The non-reflexive form is rare. It is an o→ue stem-changing verb (me esfuerzo, te esfuerzas), so the stem vowel changes in stressed syllables.

Examples

"Debes esforzarte más en el trabajo."

Natural Translation

You should strive harder at work.

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