作業します（さぎょうします、sagiょushimasu）
- to work

The Japanese verb 作業します means "to work," "to perform a task," or "to operate." It implies engaging in a specific activity, job, or process. It often refers to manual labor or tasks that require focused effort. This verb is versatile and can be used in various contexts, from office work to construction. The core concept is performing an action or set of actions to achieve a specific goal. This can be either a physical or a mental task.

⚫︎今日、このプロジェクトの作業をします。 Translation: I will work on this project today. ⚫︎工場で機械の作業をします。 Translation: I work on machines at the factory. ⚫︎パソコンでデータの作業をします。 Translation: I work with data on the computer.

⚫︎ Use 作業します when describing the act of doing a specific task or job. ⚫︎ It is appropriate in both formal and informal settings, although you might use more polite verb forms (like 作業します -> 作業いたします) in formal situations. ⚫︎ You typically specify *what* kind of work or task you are performing by adding a noun and the particle を before 作業します. For example, パソコンの作業をします (I work on the computer). ⚫︎ The subject performing the action is usually indicated by the particle は or が. ⚫︎ The word is useful in business, daily conversations, and professional settings. You can use it when explaining your job or when asking about someone else's activities. ⚫︎ Depending on the context, the verb can be used to say "I'm operating" or "I'm performing a task" or "I'm processing." ⚫︎ This verb focuses on a specific task or job; therefore, it is used when you want to emphasize *what* you are going to do or what you are doing.

⚫︎ 作業します is written in kanji, hiragana, and katakana. ⚫︎ Kanji: 作業 (meaning "work," "operation") ⚫︎ Hiragana: さぎょうします (the reading) ⚫︎ Katakana: Usually not written in katakana. ⚫︎ The verb itself is a combination of the noun 作業 and the verb します, which is the polite form of する ("to do"). ⚫︎ The okurigana (hiragana following the kanji) is always します. ⚫︎ The polite form can be changed into 作業します. ⚫︎ Conjugations: ⚫︎ Present affirmative: 作業します [作業します] ⚫︎ Present negative: 作業しません ⚫︎ Past affirmative: 作業しました ⚫︎ Past negative: 作業しませんでした

⚫︎ 仕事します (しごとします) - to work (in a job, broader sense) ⚫︎ 働く (はたらく) - to work (more general, emphasizes the action of working) ⚫︎ 行う (おこなう) - to perform, to do (formal, often used for official duties or actions) ⚫︎ 業務をこなす (ぎょうむをこなす) - to handle or manage tasks (business context) ⚫︎ 処理する (しょりする) - to process (data, information) ⚫︎ 作業します is versatile, but the best word to use depends on the nuances you want to express.

⚫︎ There is no single direct antonym. It depends on the context of the work. Some possibilities: ⚫︎ 休む (やすむ) - to rest, to take a break ⚫︎ 辞める (やめる) - to quit ⚫︎ 終了する (しゅうりょうする) - to finish, to end ⚫︎ The opposite of doing a task would be *not* doing the task.

今日は、レポートの作業をします。 ・Translation: Today, I will work on the report. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the specific task of working on a report. The particle の indicates that レポート modifies 作業. The particle は indicates that the subject is "today".

この機械の作業方法を教えてください。 ・Translation: Please teach me how to operate this machine. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 作業 to describe the act of operating a machine. The word 方法 means "method" or "way".

The word 作業 itself is a compound word derived from Chinese characters. ⚫︎ 作 (sa) means "to make," "to create," or "to do." ⚫︎ 業 (gyō) means "business," "work," or "task." The verb form 作業します is the stem 作業 plus the verb します (to do), forming the meaning of engaging in work or a specific task.