労作|ろうさくrousaku[0]heiban (flat)
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- noun, suru verbtoil; labor; labour; laborious task
- nounpainstaking piece of work; (a) work involving considerable effort
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 労作する(ろうさくする) |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 労作します(ろうさくします) |
| Negative (nai) | 労作しない(ろうさくしない) |
| polite (masen) | 労作しません(ろうさくしません) |
| classical zu / nu | 労作せず・労作せぬ(ろうさくせず・ろうさくせぬ) |
| Past (ta) | 労作した(ろうさくした) |
| polite (mashita) | 労作しました(ろうさくしました) |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 労作しなかった(ろうさくしなかった) |
| polite (masen deshita) | 労作しませんでした(ろうさくしませんでした) |
| Te form | 労作して(ろうさくして) |
| Potential | 労作できる(ろうさくできる) |
| Passive | 労作される(ろうさくされる) |
| Causative | 労作させる(ろうさくさせる) |
| Causative passive | 労作させられる(ろうさくさせられる) |
| Conditional (ba) | 労作すれば(ろうさくすれば) |
| tara | 労作したら(ろうさくしたら) |
| Volitional | 労作しよう(ろうさくしよう) |
| polite (mashou) | 労作しましょう(ろうさくしましょう) |
| Imperative | 労作しろ(ろうさくしろ) |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
- Synonym労苦ろうくWrittenWritten/formal prose for physical and mental toil; it stresses the hardship endured, while 「労作」 centres on the painstakingly finished work or the labour itself.
- Synonym辛苦しんくWrittenWritten/formal prose for hardship and suffering, as in 「辛苦を共にする」; it stresses the hardships one goes through rather than a finished work.
- Synonym力作りきさくNeutralNeutral word for a work into which great effort has been poured; close to 「労作」 in its work sense, but it stresses that the result is outstanding.
- Related労ろうWrittenWritten/formal prose for labour expended or a contribution, often in set phrases like 「労をねぎらう」 or 「労を惜しまず」; it names the effort, not a work.
- Related粒々辛苦りゅうりゅうしんくWrittenA four-character idiom in written/formal prose for painstaking effort applied bit by bit; it stresses long, steady hard work toward a goal.
- Related汗するあせするWrittenWritten/formal prose meaning to sweat, used figuratively for working hard; seen mostly in phrases like 「額に汗して」.
- Relatedこつこつ働くこつこつはたらくCasualColloquial phrase for working steadily, little by little; it stresses a diligent, persistent attitude rather than the effort or the result itself.
Use 「労作」 for a painstakingly completed work or hard labour, as in 「十年がかりの労作」. For an outstanding work say 「力作」; for hardship endured, 「労苦」 or 「辛苦」; for steady, diligent work, 「こつこつ働く」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only


