How to say "labor" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 仕事しごとnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbCovers 'labor' in the everyday sense of work or a job — the tasks one does for a living. The neutral, all-purpose word: finding work, doing one's work, going to work.
- 働くはたらくgodan verb, intransitive verbThe verb: when 'labor' is a verb — to work or toil — this is the word, whether one works at a company or a machine functions.
- 労働ろうどうnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbThe noun for labor as physical toil or as an economic and social concept; you meet it in labor law, labor conditions, and the labor movement.
- 働きはたらきnounThe noun from 働く: work as activity, effort, or the function of something. For 'labor' as a job or toil it is seldom the word you want — it really means working or functioning.
- 手間てまnounCovers 'labor' in the sense of the time and effort a task demands — the bother of doing something. Use it for work that is troublesome or takes effort, not for a job or employment.
For work as a job use 仕事; for the verb use 「働く」; for labor as toil or an economic concept use 労働; 「働き」 is work as activity or function; 手間 is the time and effort a task takes.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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