In Japanese
to work (for, at, in); to be employed (at); to serve (as)
彼は広告会社に勤めている。
He works for an advertising agency. Tatoeba
Japanese from JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR. All sources.
Definition
n. the job you do to earn money. It can also mean the tasks you need to do at your job or at home.
n. Activity involving mental or physical effort to achieve a result, often for payment. The term can also refer to the tasks required for a job, a place of employment, or a specific creation.
Examples
“I have a lot of work to do today.”
“Her work involves managing projects and leading a team of five people.”
“The artist's later works are characterized by a profound melancholy, reflecting a shift in his personal philosophy and a departure from his earlier style.”
Examples
simple
“I have a lot of work to do today.”
contextual
“Her work involves managing projects and leading a team of five people.”
complex
“The artist's later works are characterized by a profound melancholy, reflecting a shift in his personal philosophy and a departure from his earlier style.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “work” in context.
Usage
The noun is typically uncountable when referring to employment or effort ('I have work to do'). It is countable when referring to a specific creation ('a work of art').
Pitfall
I have many works to do.
I have a lot of work to do.
When referring to tasks or employment, 'work' is uncountable and cannot be pluralized. The plural 'works' refers to creations, like books or art.
Confusables
Job is a countable noun for a specific role; work is an uncountable noun for the effort or activity itself.
RememberA job is a title; work is the task.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Related words
Idioms
01. busy work
02. close enough for government work
04. detective work
05. dirty work
06. do the work
07. don't call me sir, I work for a living
08. donkey work
09. go to work
10. God's work
Show all 43
11. good enough for government work
12. grunt work
13. hard at work
14. have one's work cut out for one
15. I just work here
20. piece of work
22. put to work
23. set to work
24. stroke of work
25. work away
26. work back
29. work like a dog
32. work of art
33. work one's fingers to the bone
34. work one's magic
35. work over
37. work spouse
38. work the crowd
39. work the room
40. work to rule
42. work wonders
43. worked up
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224EikenEikenTest in Practical English ProficiencyThe English proficiency test from the Eiken Foundation of Japan, widely taken by Japanese students. Grades run from 5 to 1, with Pre-1 and Pre-2 between them.Grade 3
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/work
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0