Work in Different Languages
Discover 'Work' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Work is a fundamental aspect of human life, occupying a significant portion of our time and energy. It is through work that we contribute to society, provide for ourselves and our families, and find a sense of purpose and fulfillment. The concept of work is deeply ingrained in our cultural values and beliefs, and is often seen as a measure of our worth and success.
Moreover, the word 'work' has a rich history and is associated with a variety of interesting facts and contexts. For example, did you know that the word 'work' comes from the Old English 'weorc', which means 'deed' or 'act'? Or that in many languages, the word for 'work' is closely related to the word for 'duty' or 'obligation'?
Understanding the translation of 'work' in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultural importance of work around the world. Here are a few examples:
- In Spanish, 'work' is 'trabajo'
- In French, 'work' is 'travail'
- In German, 'work' is 'Arbeit'
- In Italian, 'work' is 'lavoro'
- In Portuguese, 'work' is 'trabalho'
Stay tuned for more translations of the word 'work' in a wide range of languages!
Work
Work in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | werk | ||
| "Werk" in Afrikaans can also mean "pain" or "ache", and is derived from the Middle Dutch word "werke". | |||
| Amharic | ሥራ | ||
| In Amharic, "ሥራ" also refers to a unit of measurement for cloth equal to 30-40 meters. | |||
| Hausa | aiki | ||
| In Niger, aiki (also spelled aïki) carries the additional meaning of "slavery". | |||
| Igbo | ọrụ | ||
| Malagasy | asa | ||
| Asa (meaning "task, responsibility") derives ultimately from the Proto-Austronesian root *paza, as found e.g. the Malay "usaha," the Javanese "pasah" , and the Tagalog "bagas, gawa." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ntchito | ||
| The word "ntchito" in Nyanja also refers to a "task" or "errand" that one is expected to perform. | |||
| Shona | shanda | ||
| The word 'shanda' can also refer to 'cultivation', 'affairs', 'business', and even 'punishment'. | |||
| Somali | shaqo | ||
| The term derives from the Arabic, and signifies 'activity', with connotations of occupation and effort in addition to work. | |||
| Sesotho | sebetsa | ||
| Swahili | fanya kazi | ||
| The Swahili word "fanya kazi" derives from the Arabic word "faʿala kāza" meaning "to do something" or "to make something happen". | |||
| Xhosa | sebenza | ||
| Sebenza can also mean 'creation', 'task', 'employment', 'trade' or 'activity' in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | iṣẹ | ||
| The word "iṣẹ" also has alternate meanings including "fate," "destiny," and "character." | |||
| Zulu | sebenza | ||
| The Zulu word "sebenza" can also refer to the act of helping someone or performing a duty. | |||
| Bambara | baara | ||
| Ewe | dɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | akazi | ||
| Lingala | mosala | ||
| Luganda | okukola | ||
| Sepedi | mošomo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | adwuma | ||
Work in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | عمل | ||
| The word "عمل" can also mean "deed" or "act", and is derived from the root "ع م ل" which means "to do" or "to act". | |||
| Hebrew | עֲבוֹדָה | ||
| עֲבוֹדָה may also mean 'service' or 'worship' when used in a religious context. | |||
| Pashto | کار | ||
| The Pashto word "کار" also means "business" or "enterprise". | |||
| Arabic | عمل | ||
| The word "عمل" can also mean "deed" or "act", and is derived from the root "ع م ل" which means "to do" or "to act". | |||
Work in Western European Languages
| Albanian | punojnë | ||
| "Punojnë" is derived from the Proto-Albanian word "pune" (task) and shares cognates with other Indo-European languages, such as the Latin "opus" and the English "opera." | |||
| Basque | lana | ||
| The Basque word "lana" has alternate meanings such as "product" or "field". | |||
| Catalan | treballar | ||
| Croatian | raditi | ||
| "Raditi" in Croatian has roots in the Proto-Slavic word "*orbd-iti", meaning "to cut, hew, till". | |||
| Danish | arbejde | ||
| "Arbejde" is derived from the Proto-Germanic root word "*arboðaz", which means "to be subject to, to suffer, to endure". | |||
| Dutch | werk | ||
| The Dutch word "werk" also means "pain" or "ache". | |||
| English | work | ||
| The word 'work' derives from the Old English word 'weorc,' which meant 'pain, suffering, or toil' | |||
| French | travail | ||
| Travail in French also means "labor" in the sense of childbirth. | |||
| Frisian | wurk | ||
| The Frisian word "wurk" shares the same root as the English word "worry". | |||
| Galician | traballo | ||
| Traballo is also a Galician noun that means "tool" or "instrument" and comes from the Latin "trepalium", meaning "instrument of torture." | |||
| German | arbeit | ||
| "Arbeit" can also refer to a type of fabric made with silver or gold threads. | |||
| Icelandic | vinna | ||
| "Vinna" is also a term used in witchcraft to refer to the creation of magic knots from ropes. | |||
| Irish | obair | ||
| The Irish word 'obair' also means 'effort' or 'labor,' and is related to the Latin word 'opus,' meaning 'work' | |||
| Italian | lavoro | ||
| The word "lavoro" derives from the Latin verb "laborare," meaning "to suffer" or "to toil." | |||
| Luxembourgish | schaffen | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "schaffen" also means "to create, produce, or form something new." | |||
| Maltese | xogħol | ||
| The Maltese word "xogħol" comes from the Arabic word "shughl," which means "occupation" or "business." | |||
| Norwegian | arbeid | ||
| The word "arbeid" in Norwegian has its roots in Old Norse and means toil, hardship, and pain. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | trabalhos | ||
| The word "trabalhos" is cognate with the Spanish "trabajos" and the French "travaux", all deriving from the Latin "tripalium", a three-legged stool used for torture. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | obair | ||
| "Obair" comes from the Proto-Celtic "ad-barā", a cognate to Latin "faber" | |||
| Spanish | trabajo | ||
| Swedish | arbete | ||
| The word "arbete" comes from the Old Norse word "arbeið" which means "effort" or "labor". | |||
| Welsh | gwaith | ||
| In the phrase 'gwaith y dwr', 'gwaith' means 'act' or 'process' rather than 'work'. | |||
Work in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | праца | ||
| The word "праца" also carries the meanings of "struggle" and "suffering" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | posao | ||
| The word 'posao' in Bosnian originates from the Old Church Slavonic word 'posъl', meaning 'mission' or 'task'. | |||
| Bulgarian | работа | ||
| The word "работа" in Bulgarian can also mean "slavery" or "serfdom". | |||
| Czech | práce | ||
| In older times the term also included the meanings 'spinning,' 'weaving' but especially 'torture.' | |||
| Estonian | töö | ||
| The word "töö" in Estonian is cognate with the Finnish word "työ" and the Hungarian word "te" and likely derives from the Proto-Uralic word *töö or *töwö. | |||
| Finnish | tehdä työtä | ||
| The word "tehdä työtä" can also mean "to make an effort" or "to do one's best". | |||
| Hungarian | munka | ||
| "Munka" is derived from a Proto-Turkic word which also meant "suffering" or "hardship". | |||
| Latvian | darbs | ||
| "Darbs" can mean both "work" and, in a more archaic sense, "order", stemming from the Proto-Indo-European "*dʰer-" meaning "to hold, support, carry, sustain". | |||
| Lithuanian | darbas | ||
| The word "darbas" likely derives from an Indo-European root meaning "strive". | |||
| Macedonian | работа | ||
| The word "работа" also means "slave" or "serf" in some Slavic languages, reflecting the historical reality of forced labor. | |||
| Polish | praca | ||
| "Praca" can also mean "thesis" or "exercise" in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | muncă | ||
| The word "muncă" can also refer to the "pain of birth" or "struggle" due to its Proto-Slavic root *mǫka, which has similar meanings. | |||
| Russian | работа | ||
| "Работа" also means "slavery" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | радити | ||
| The word "радити" also means "to create" or "to give birth" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | práca | ||
| In Slovak, "práca" also means "powder" or "ash" and is related to the verb "pražiť" (to roast). | |||
| Slovenian | delo | ||
| Delo can also refer to a piece of art or a musical composition. | |||
| Ukrainian | робота | ||
| The word "робота" (work) in Ukrainian comes from the Proto-Slavic word *robota, which means "slavery" or "service." | |||
Work in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কাজ | ||
| The word "কাজ" can also mean "deed" or "task" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | કામ | ||
| Hindi | काम | ||
| Kannada | ಕೆಲಸ | ||
| ಕೆಲಸ means both 'work' and 'the result of one's labour' in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ജോലി | ||
| The word "ജോലി" in Malayalam can also mean "employment" or "occupation." | |||
| Marathi | काम | ||
| Nepali | काम | ||
| Punjabi | ਕੰਮ | ||
| The word "ਕੰਮ" (work) in Punjabi originates from the Sanskrit word "कर्म" (karma), which also means "action" or "deed". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කාර්යය | ||
| Tamil | வேலை | ||
| "வேலை" can also refer to "pay" or "service" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | పని | ||
| The word "పని" (work) in Telugu can also refer to business, job, or duty. | |||
| Urdu | کام | ||
| کام, meaning "work", also signifies "deeds" and "actions" in Urdu, extending its connotation beyond mere labor to encompass one's overall conduct and accomplishments. | |||
Work in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 工作 | ||
| The word "工作" (work) in Chinese can also mean "function" or "task". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 工作 | ||
| 工作 (gōngzuò) literally means "public affair" and can also refer to "serving in government". | |||
| Japanese | 作業 | ||
| 作業 (sagyō) literally means "making things act" and can refer to any activity that involves creating or producing something. | |||
| Korean | 작업 | ||
| The word "작업" can also mean "homework" or "study." | |||
| Mongolian | ажил | ||
| The word "ажил" also encompasses the concept of duty, responsibility or commitment. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အလုပ် | ||
Work in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kerja | ||
| In Indonesian, "kerja" can also mean "action", "deed", or "performance". | |||
| Javanese | makarya | ||
| The word 'makarya' also means 'to create' and 'to do something' in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | ការងារ | ||
| The word ការងារ also carries the connotation of "duty" or "obligation." | |||
| Lao | ເຮັດວຽກ | ||
| Malay | bekerja | ||
| The root of the word "bekerja" ('work') in Malay, "kerja", is likely derived from an Austronesian word for 'deed' or 'activity'. | |||
| Thai | งาน | ||
| "งาน" (work) derives from Sanskrit "karma" (action) and can also mean "task" or "duty" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | công việc | ||
| Công việc in Vietnamese can also refer to a job or official post, while its Sino-Vietnamese origin công tác refers to a business trip. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | trabaho | ||
Work in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | işləmək | ||
| The word "işləmək" in Azerbaijani originates from the Old Turkic word "iş", meaning "work, job, business." | |||
| Kazakh | жұмыс | ||
| The word "жұмыс" is derived from the Proto-Turkic word "јомыš" meaning "to make, to do". | |||
| Kyrgyz | иш | ||
| Cognate with Kazakh "іс" and Eastern Turkic "иш". May also refer to a business or a shop. | |||
| Tajik | кор | ||
| The word “кор” also means “cause” and “deed”. | |||
| Turkmen | işlemek | ||
| Uzbek | ish | ||
| The word "ish" in Uzbek can also mean "deed", "activity", or "duty". | |||
| Uyghur | خىزمەت | ||
Work in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hana | ||
| The Hawaiian word 'hana' can also mean 'deed', 'action', or 'profession'. | |||
| Maori | mahi | ||
| In Proto-Polynesian, "mahi" also meant "to kill or slay," and in Samoan, "to cook" or "to eat raw." | |||
| Samoan | galue | ||
| Galue also derives from an Indonesian concept of a 'task undertaken for free without any material gain'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | trabaho | ||
| "Trabaho" is derived from the Spanish word "trabajo" (work), which itself comes from the Latin "tripalium" (a three-legged instrument used for harnessing horses). | |||
Work in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | irnaqaña | ||
| Guarani | tembiapo | ||
Work in International Languages
| Esperanto | laboro | ||
| "Laboro" is related to "labor" in English, but it can also mean "to suffer" or "to strain". | |||
| Latin | opus | ||
| The word "opus" in Latin can also refer to a musical composition or a literary work. | |||
Work in Others Languages
| Greek | δουλειά | ||
| The Greek word "δουλειά" (work) is derived from the ancient Greek "δουλεία" (slavery), reflecting the historical association of work with servitude. | |||
| Hmong | ua haujlwm | ||
| The Hmong word "ua haujlwm" can also refer to "job" or "task". | |||
| Kurdish | kar | ||
| The word "kar" in Kurdish can also refer to a "deed" or "action". | |||
| Turkish | iş | ||
| "İş" sözcüğünün "işaret" anlamı, Arapça "şe'n" sözcüğüne dayanır. | |||
| Xhosa | sebenza | ||
| Sebenza can also mean 'creation', 'task', 'employment', 'trade' or 'activity' in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | אַרבעט | ||
| "אַרבעט" (work) originates from the Germanic "arbeit", which is cognate with the English "orbit". | |||
| Zulu | sebenza | ||
| The Zulu word "sebenza" can also refer to the act of helping someone or performing a duty. | |||
| Assamese | কাম | ||
| Aymara | irnaqaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | काम | ||
| Dhivehi | މަސައްކަތް | ||
| Dogri | कम्म | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | trabaho | ||
| Guarani | tembiapo | ||
| Ilocano | tarabaho | ||
| Krio | wok | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کار | ||
| Maithili | काज | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯕꯛ | ||
| Mizo | hnathawk | ||
| Oromo | hojii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କାମ | ||
| Quechua | llamkay | ||
| Sanskrit | कार्यम् | ||
| Tatar | эш | ||
| Tigrinya | ስራሕ | ||
| Tsonga | ntirho | ||