働きます（はたらきます、hatarakimasu）
- to work

The Japanese word 働きます, read as はたらきます (hatarakimasu), primarily means "to work" or "to labor." It describes the act of engaging in a job, occupation, or any activity that requires effort and produces results, typically for pay or some form of compensation. The meaning extends to include the concept of functioning or operating, especially in the context of machinery or systems. The word conveys both physical and mental effort applied to a task.

⚫︎ 会社で働きます Translation: I work at a company. ⚫︎ 毎日、一生懸命働いています Translation: I work hard every day. ⚫︎ この機械はうまく働いていますか？ Translation: Does this machine work well?

⚫︎ 働きます is a verb that can be used in various contexts related to employment, job duties, and general effort. ⚫︎ It can be used to describe one's profession or place of work. ⚫︎ It can also describe the operation of something (like a machine) or the functioning of a system. ⚫︎ The polite form 働きます is appropriate for most situations.

⚫︎ The word is typically written with the kanji 働 combined with the hiragana suffix きます: 働きます. ⚫︎ The kanji 働 itself means "to work" or "labor". ⚫︎ The verb conjugates as follows: * Present, Affirmative: 働きます (hatarakimasu) * Present, Negative: 働きません (hataraki masen) * Past, Affirmative: 働きました (hatarakimashita) * Past, Negative: 働きませんでした (hatarakimasen deshita) * Stem form: 働き (hataraki)

⚫︎ 勤めます (tsutomemasu) - to work for (a company), to be employed at. This term emphasizes the place of employment. ⚫︎ 仕事します (shigoto shimasu) - to do work, to work. More general term.

⚫︎ 休みます (yasumimasu) - to take a rest, to be absent. ⚫︎ 辞めます (yamemasu) - to quit, to resign.

私は毎日、朝九時から五時まで会社で働きます。 ・Translation: I work at the company every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the speaker's work schedule and the place where they work.

この時計は電池で働いています。 ・Translation: This watch is running on batteries. ・Explanation: This sentence uses the word to describe how something functions.

⚫︎ The kanji 働 combines the elements of 人 (person) and 重 (heavy or important). The etymology reflects the idea of a person bearing a load, indicating the effort involved in work.