Works in Different Languages
Discover 'Works' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'works' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, encompassing a range of meanings from physical labor to artistic creations. Its cultural importance is evident in its widespread use across different languages and societies. Understanding its translations in various languages can provide valuable insights into the nuances of different cultures and their views on work and creativity.
Did you know that the word 'trabajo' in Spanish not only means 'work' but also refers to a painful ordeal? Or that in Japanese, 'hataraku' can also mean 'to function'? These fascinating translations highlight the diverse ways in which different cultures view and express the concept of 'works'.
Whether you're a language enthusiast, a world traveler, or simply curious about different cultures, exploring the translations of 'works' in various languages can be a fun and enlightening experience. So, let's delve into the world of language and culture and discover how 'works' translates in different languages!
Works
Works in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | werk | ||
| The Afrikaans word "werk" originates from the same Old English root as the English word "work", but in Afrikaans it also refers to a "factory" or "plant". | |||
| Amharic | ይሠራል | ||
| The Amharic word "ይሠራል" can also mean to "be employed" or "to make a living." | |||
| Hausa | yana aiki | ||
| The Hausa word "yana aiki" can also mean "he is doing work" or "he is employed". | |||
| Igbo | ọrụ | ||
| The Igbo word ọrụ has several meanings depending on the context: as a noun, it can mean labour, task, business, duty, occupation, deed, or job; as a verb, it can mean to act, perform an action, create, or operate. | |||
| Malagasy | asa | ||
| The etymology of the Malagasy word "asa" is unclear, and it can also refer to "affairs" or "business." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | ntchito | ||
| Nyanja ntchito also means "a way of life," "the world," and "the present time." | |||
| Shona | anoshanda | ||
| Somali | shaqeeya | ||
| In addition to "works", "shaqeeya" can also refer to "workers" or "workforce". | |||
| Sesotho | ea sebetsa | ||
| 'Sebetsa' is derived from the word 'sebetsa' which means 'to be active or busy'. | |||
| Swahili | inafanya kazi | ||
| In Swahili the word "inafanya kazi" (works) is related to "kazi" (work) and "fanya" (do). | |||
| Xhosa | iyasebenza | ||
| The Xhosa word "iyasebenza" can also mean "it is useful" or "it is effective". | |||
| Yoruba | ṣiṣẹ | ||
| Ṣiṣẹ also refers to a class of Yoruba deities known as "Orisha Ṣiṣẹ," who are associated with diligence and industry. | |||
| Zulu | kuyasebenza | ||
| The Zulu word "kuyasebenza" can be translated to "works" in English, but it also carries the meaning of "to be busy" or "to toil". It originates from the isiZulu root "-sebenza", which means "to do or make something". This root is used in various forms to create words related to work, such as "isisebenzi" (worker), "umsebenzi" (job), and "ukusebenzisa" (to use). | |||
| Bambara | bɛ baara kɛ | ||
| Ewe | dɔwɔwɔwo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ikora | ||
| Lingala | esalaka | ||
| Luganda | akola | ||
| Sepedi | o a šoma | ||
| Twi (Akan) | adwuma | ||
Works in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | يعمل | ||
| Hebrew | עובד | ||
| The word 'עובד' ('works') in Hebrew can also refer to a 'servant' or 'slave'. | |||
| Pashto | کار کوي | ||
| In Pashto, the word "کار کوي" also means "factory" or "workshop." | |||
| Arabic | يعمل | ||
Works in Western European Languages
| Albanian | punon | ||
| The word 'punon' has the same root as the word 'ponë', which means 'work' or 'labor' in Albanian. | |||
| Basque | lanak | ||
| The Basque word "lanak" originally meant "goods" or "possessions". | |||
| Catalan | funciona | ||
| "Funciona" in Catalan is derived from the Latin "functio," meaning "performance" or "discharge of duty," and also has the alternate meaning of "ceremony" or "ritual." | |||
| Croatian | djela | ||
| The word 'djela' in Croatian can also refer to 'actions' or 'deeds'. | |||
| Danish | arbejder | ||
| The word "arbejder" in Danish derives from the German word "arbeiten," meaning "to work," and also refers to a member of the working class. | |||
| Dutch | werken | ||
| The Dutch word "werken" also means "to work" in English. | |||
| English | works | ||
| As a noun, the word "work" derives from the Old English term "weorc" and can refer to both the physical effort and its outcome. | |||
| French | travaux | ||
| The French word "travaux" can also refer to roadworks, construction works, or academic works. | |||
| Frisian | wurken | ||
| The Frisian word "wurken" also means "to dry (in the wind)", | |||
| Galician | obras | ||
| "Obras" can also refer to the public services maintained by a local authority in Galician. | |||
| German | funktioniert | ||
| The word "funktioniert" (works) derives from the Latin "functio" (performance) and the French "fonctionner" (to function). | |||
| Icelandic | virkar | ||
| "Virkar" in Icelandic, meaning "works", derives from the Old Norse "verka," meaning "to perform". | |||
| Irish | oibreacha | ||
| Italian | lavori | ||
| The feminine plural of the Italian word "lavoro" (work) is "lavori", which can also mean "roadworks" or "construction work." | |||
| Luxembourgish | funktionnéiert | ||
| Maltese | xogħlijiet | ||
| "Xogħlijiet" can also refer to the works or publications of an author, artist, or scholar. | |||
| Norwegian | virker | ||
| The word "virker" can also refer to an effect or a sensation, as in "det virket på meg" (it had an effect on me). | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | trabalho | ||
| In Galician and Portuguese, "trabalho" also means torment, pain, agony, affliction, anguish, trouble, labour, and toil, and derives from Latin "tripalium", a three-pronged instrument of torture. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ag obair | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, "ag obair" can refer to the action of performing a job or to a state of being in pain. | |||
| Spanish | trabajos | ||
| The word "trabajos" in Spanish can also mean "hardships" or "sorrows". | |||
| Swedish | arbetar | ||
| The word 'arbetar' can also refer to a person who works, particularly in a manual or blue-collar job. | |||
| Welsh | yn gweithio | ||
| The word "yn gweithio" in Welsh also means "working" or "being employed". | |||
Works in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | працуе | ||
| Belarusian "працуе" also means "to operate", "to act", or "to function". | |||
| Bosnian | radi | ||
| The word "radi" can also mean "for the sake of" or "because of" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | върши работа | ||
| The expression "върши работа" can also mean "gets the job done" or "is satisfactory" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | funguje | ||
| The Czech word 'funguje' originally meant 'to be round' and is related to the German word 'rund'. | |||
| Estonian | töötab | ||
| The word "töötab" also means "he/she is working" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | toimii | ||
| "Toimii" is also a slang word used for a device or software that does exactly what you'd expect it to do. | |||
| Hungarian | művek | ||
| In Hungarian, the word "művek" can be used to refer to a wide range of artistic or creative expressions, from paintings and sculptures to music and literature. | |||
| Latvian | darbojas | ||
| Darbojas (works) derived from Proto-Baltic root word derb- ("to tear"). | |||
| Lithuanian | darbai | ||
| The word "darbai" can also refer to a type of traditional Lithuanian folk dance or to a gathering of people for a specific purpose, such as a festival or a wedding. | |||
| Macedonian | работи | ||
| This word derives from the Proto-Slavic *orbota, and its other meanings include 'obligation; job; task; labor; chores.' | |||
| Polish | pracuje | ||
| Pracuje is also a Polish colloquialism for drinking alcohol. | |||
| Romanian | lucrări | ||
| The Romanian word "lucrări" can also mean "dissertations" or "reports", especially in the context of academic research. | |||
| Russian | работает | ||
| In Russian, "работает" can also refer to a state of being active or functioning, such as a machine or an organization. | |||
| Serbian | извођење радова | ||
| This word can also mean 'execution of works'. | |||
| Slovak | tvorba | ||
| The Slovak word 'tvorba' has the same root as the English word 'create'. | |||
| Slovenian | deluje | ||
| The word 'deluje' in Slovenian is derived from the Latin word 'doleo', meaning 'to grieve' or 'to ache'. | |||
| Ukrainian | робіт | ||
| The word "робіт" in Ukrainian has an alternate meaning of "slave" or "serf", reflecting its historical association with forced labor. | |||
Works in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কাজ করে | ||
| In Bengali, "কাজ করে" can also mean "is used for" or "is employed in" | |||
| Gujarati | કામ કરે છે | ||
| In English, "works" can also mean to be in operation or to perform a function. | |||
| Hindi | काम करता है | ||
| Kannada | ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತದೆ | ||
| Malayalam | പ്രവർത്തിക്കുന്നു | ||
| Marathi | कार्य करते | ||
| In Marathi, the word "कार्य करते" not only means "works" but also refers to performing a task or engaging in an activity. | |||
| Nepali | काम गर्दछ | ||
| The verb 'काम गर्दछ' can also be used to refer to the process of functioning or operating. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕੰਮ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කටයුතු | ||
| Tamil | வேலை செய்கிறது | ||
| Telugu | పనిచేస్తుంది | ||
| Urdu | کام کرتا ہے | ||
Works in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 作品 | ||
| 作品 (Simplified Chinese) means "works" and can also be translated as "creation" or "artwork". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 作品 | ||
| In Japanese, the word "作品" can also refer to a composition, such as a piece of music or literature. | |||
| Japanese | 動作します | ||
| The word "動作します" (works) is derived from the verb "動作する" (to work), which is itself derived from the noun "動作" (action). | |||
| Korean | 공장 | ||
| The term "works" is also used in Korean to refer to a "factory" or "workshop" where goods are produced. | |||
| Mongolian | ажилладаг | ||
| 'Ажилладаг' is related to 'ажиллах', which means 'to work', or to 'аж' which is translated as 'work'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အလုပ်များ | ||
Works in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bekerja | ||
| Although "bekerja" means "works," it can also mean "operates," "functions," or "is employed." | |||
| Javanese | dianggo | ||
| "Dianggo" can refer to both the result of an effort or action and its usage. | |||
| Khmer | ការងារ | ||
| Lao | ເຮັດວຽກ | ||
| Malay | berfungsi | ||
| The word "berfungsi" is derived from the Sanskrit word "bhṛ" meaning "to bear" or "to carry". | |||
| Thai | ได้ผล | ||
| The Thai word "ได้ผล" (dâai-pɔn) doesn't just mean "works" (in English), but also means "bears fruit" in a literal sense. | |||
| Vietnamese | làm | ||
| "Làm" is a Sino-Vietnamese word derived from the Chinese character " làm (作)" but has additional meanings such as "to do" or "to make" which are not present in the Chinese original. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | gumagana | ||
Works in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | işləyir | ||
| İşləyir can also mean "is involved" or "operates" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | жұмыс істейді | ||
| Kyrgyz | иштейт | ||
| It is also a loan from Persian, where it originally meant 'worship, service'. However, it is now also used to mean 'labor' or any activity. | |||
| Tajik | кор мекунад | ||
| The Tajik word "кор мекунад" can also mean "to have an effect" or "to make a difference." | |||
| Turkmen | işleýär | ||
| Uzbek | ishlaydi | ||
| The word "ishlaydi" can also refer to "performing" or "being active." | |||
| Uyghur | ئىشلەيدۇ | ||
Works in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hana | ||
| In some contexts, "hana" can also refer to "play", "recreation", or "amusement". | |||
| Maori | mahi | ||
| "Mahi" in Māori can also refer to tasks, labour, or employment. | |||
| Samoan | galue | ||
| In addition to "works," Samoan word "galue" also means "business," "occupation," "employment," "workplace," or "deed." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | gumagana | ||
| The word 'gumagana' (works) in Tagalog is derived from the root word 'gana', which means 'to complete' or 'to finish'. | |||
Works in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | irnaqawinakapa | ||
| Guarani | omba’apo | ||
Works in International Languages
| Esperanto | funkcias | ||
| The word "funkcias" can also refer to the workings of a machine or the functions of an organ. | |||
| Latin | opera | ||
| In Latin, "opera" means "works" in the sense of "a work of art," and is cognate with the Greek "ergon" meaning "work." | |||
Works in Others Languages
| Greek | έργα | ||
| The Greek word "έργα" (works) is derived from the verb "έργω" (ergo), which means "to do" or "to produce." | |||
| Hmong | tej hauj lwm | ||
| In Hmong, "tej hauj lwm" can also refer to a spiritual offering of homemade alcohol. | |||
| Kurdish | dixebite | ||
| "Dixebite" in Kurdish comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *di- "to strive, to strive." | |||
| Turkish | i̇şler | ||
| In Turkish, "işler" can also refer to the "actions" or "processes" associated with a particular task or activity. | |||
| Xhosa | iyasebenza | ||
| The Xhosa word "iyasebenza" can also mean "it is useful" or "it is effective". | |||
| Yiddish | אַרבעט | ||
| The Yiddish word אַרבעט "works" has cognates in other West Germanic languages, such as "arbeid" in Dutch, "Arbeit" in German, and "work" in English. | |||
| Zulu | kuyasebenza | ||
| The Zulu word "kuyasebenza" can be translated to "works" in English, but it also carries the meaning of "to be busy" or "to toil". It originates from the isiZulu root "-sebenza", which means "to do or make something". This root is used in various forms to create words related to work, such as "isisebenzi" (worker), "umsebenzi" (job), and "ukusebenzisa" (to use). | |||
| Assamese | কাম কৰে | ||
| Aymara | irnaqawinakapa | ||
| Bhojpuri | काम करेला | ||
| Dhivehi | މަސައްކަތް ކުރެއެވެ | ||
| Dogri | काम करदा ऐ | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | gumagana | ||
| Guarani | omba’apo | ||
| Ilocano | agtrabaho | ||
| Krio | de wok | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کار دەکات | ||
| Maithili | काज करैत अछि | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯕꯛ ꯇꯧꯔꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | hna a thawk thin | ||
| Oromo | ni hojjeta | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କାମ କରେ | | ||
| Quechua | llamk’achkan | ||
| Sanskrit | कार्यं करोति | ||
| Tatar | эшли | ||
| Tigrinya | ይሰርሕ | ||
| Tsonga | swi tirha | ||