働(はたら)く

はたらく
verb (godan)
to work
1. to work, to labor
To engage in employment or productive activity. The most common verb for working at a job.
会社(かいしゃ)で働(はたら)いています。
I work at a company.
毎日(まいにち)8時間(じかん)働(はたら)きます。
I work 8 hours every day.
父(ちち)は銀行(ぎんこう)で働(はたら)いています。
My father works at a bank.
で marks the workplace
来年(らいねん)から東京(とうきょう)で働(はたら)きます。
Starting next year, I'll work in Tokyo.
友達(ともだち)は病院(びょういん)で看護師(かんごし)として働(はたら)いていますが、毎日(まいにち)忙(いそが)しいと言(い)っています。
My friend works as a nurse at a hospital, but says she's busy every day.

TRANSITIVITY: 自動詞(じどうし) (intransitive). No pair verb. Pattern: Xで働(はたら)く (work at X).

ASPECT: ている indicates ongoing action. 働(はたら)いている = 'is working' or 'works (habitually).'

COMMON PATTERNS:

  • 会社(かいしゃ)で働(はたら)く (work at a company)
  • 8時間(じかん)働(はたら)く (work 8 hours)
  • 働(はたら)いている (is working/employed)
  • 働(はたら)き方(かた) (way of working)

Uses で for workplace. Different from 勤(つと)める (employed at - focuses on organization).

Related: 仕事(しごと) (work/job).

Related Words

See also: 勤(つと)める
basic
Added 2026.1.7 21:47 · Revised 2026.2.8 9:56
00500/00503_hataraku