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働く
hataraku
work
彼は毎日8時間働く。
He works eight hours every day.
general
To perform labor or a job to earn income or contribute to society.
彼女は銀行で働いています。
She works at a bank.
この工場では多くの人が働いている。
Many people work at this factory.
Used for both paid employment and unpaid labor (e.g., housework). The verb itself does not specify the type of work.
Pro Tip
Conjugation reminder
Remember that 働く conjugates as a regular godan verb: 働かない (negative), 働いた (past), 働いて (te-form).
Gold Rule
Context matters
While 働く primarily means 'to work,' it can also imply 'to function' in some contexts (e.g., 機械が働く 'the machine works'). Always check the surrounding context.
Word Origin
From Old Japanese *pata- (to act, do) + auxiliary verb *-ku (indicating continuous action). The kanji 働 (used since the Meiji era) combines 人 (person) and 動 (move), reflecting the idea of a person moving to perform labor.
Usage Notes
The verb 働く is neutral and commonly used in both formal and informal contexts. It does not imply a specific profession or duration unless specified by context or collocations. In modern Japanese, it often refers to employment in a company or organization.
Word Breakdown
働
to work/to labor
rootく
indicates continuous action (verb suffix)
suffix和英辞典