1.
manual labor; physical labor
Work that primarily requires physical strength and effort, such as construction or farming.
肉体労働は体がきつい。
Manual labor is physically tough.
若いころは肉体労働で生計を立てていた。
When I was young, I made a living through manual labor.
肉体労働が中心の仕事から頭脳労働に転職した。
I changed from a job centered on physical labor to intellectual work.
Work that primarily requires physical strength and effort, such as construction, farming, or warehouse work. A compound of 肉体 (physical body) and 労働 (labor). Often contrasted with 頭脳労働 (intellectual work).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 肉体労働に従事する: to engage in physical labor
- 肉体労働者: manual laborer
- 重い肉体労働: heavy physical labor
- 肉体労働が中心: centered on manual labor
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 頭脳労働: intellectual labor; mental work — the opposite
- 力仕事: physically demanding work — more colloquial
- 単純作業: simple repetitive work — not necessarily physical