労働（ろうどう、roudoう）
- labor

The Japanese word 労働 (ろうどう) primarily means "labor," "work," or "employment." It encompasses any physical or mental effort exerted to produce goods or services. It refers to the activity of working, especially for the purpose of earning a living. It often implies a structured or organized form of work, such as in a job or profession. It can also refer to the act of working itself, the process of performing a task, and the conditions under which the work is performed.

⚫︎彼は一生懸命労働している。 Translation: He is working hard. ⚫︎労働時間 Translation: Working hours. ⚫︎労働組合 Translation: Labor union.

労働 is used in formal and informal contexts. It's common in discussions about employment, the economy, and social issues. Use it when talking about jobs, work conditions, employment laws, and the act of working in general. It's a versatile word applicable to various professions and industries.

労働 is typically written in kanji as 労働. The reading is ろうどう in hiragana. It is not typically written in katakana. There are no variations in the okurigana for this word.

⚫︎仕事 (しごと): work, job ⚫︎就業 (しゅうぎょう): employment, taking up work ⚫︎作業 (さぎょう): work, operation, task ⚫︎勤務 (きんむ): service, duty ⚫︎職務 (しょくむ): official duty, professional duties

⚫︎休息 (きゅうそく): rest, break ⚫︎退職 (たいしょく): retirement, resignation ⚫︎無職 (むしょく): unemployed

この会社は、労働者の権利を保護しています。 ・Translation: This company protects the rights of its workers. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates the use of 労働者 (workers) in the context of employment rights and regulations.

彼は、長時間労働による過労で倒れた。 ・Translation: He collapsed from overwork due to long working hours. ・Explanation: This example shows 労働 used in relation to work conditions and its impact on health.

The word 労働 is a Sino-Japanese word, meaning it originated from Chinese and was adopted into the Japanese language. The kanji 労 (ろう) means "labor," "toil," or "effort," and 働 (どう) means "to work." Together, they form the concept of working and labor.