稼働（かどう、kadou）
- operation

The Japanese word 稼働 (読み方: かどう, *kadou*) generally means "operation," "working," or "running." It refers to the state of something being in active use, functioning, or in a state of activity. It is often used in the context of machines, systems, or facilities being in service. It can also describe a person’s activity, or the operation of a system or process. 稼働 implies that something is performing its intended function.

⚫︎工場が24時間稼働しています。 Translation: The factory is operating 24 hours a day. ⚫︎新しいシステムが正常に稼働しています。 Translation: The new system is running smoothly. ⚫︎このロボットは一日中稼働します。 Translation: This robot works all day long.

⚫︎You would use 稼働 when talking about the active state of machines, equipment, factories, systems, or any other entity performing a task. ⚫︎It is common in business, technical, and engineering contexts. ⚫︎You can use it in a conversation to describe if something is currently running, functioning, or working. ⚫︎It is crucial to understand whether something is 稼働 or not, such as when monitoring equipment or during repairs.

⚫︎稼働 is typically written using the kanji 稼 (ka, meaning "to earn, work") and 働 (dou, meaning "to work, operate"). The combined meaning is “to work, to operate.” ⚫︎It is always written in kanji. The reading is かどう in hiragana. ⚫︎There are no significant variations in the okurigana (the suffix hiragana).

⚫︎運転 (うんてん, *unten*) - operation, driving (more often used for vehicles) ⚫︎作動 (さどう, *sadou*) - operation, activation (more technical) ⚫︎活動 (かつどう, *katsudou*) - activity, action ⚫︎機能 (きのう, *kinou*) - function, operation ⚫︎動く (うごく, *ugoku*) - to move, to run

⚫︎停止 (ていし, *teishi*) - stop, suspension ⚫︎休止 (きゅうし, *kyuushi*) - suspension, downtime ⚫︎故障 (こしょう, *koshou*) - breakdown, failure ⚫︎停止する (ていしする, *teishisuru*) - to stop ⚫︎動かない (うごかない, *ugokanai*) - does not work, does not run

そのサーバーは現在、順調に稼働しています。 ・Translation: That server is currently running smoothly. ・Explanation: This sentence confirms the smooth operation of a server, indicating it is functioning properly.

新しい機械は今週から稼働を開始する予定です。 ・Translation: The new machine is scheduled to begin operation this week. ・Explanation: This sentence states the starting time of operation for a new piece of equipment.

The word 稼働 is a compound word. The kanji 稼 has the meaning of “to earn; to work;” and the kanji 働 means "to work; to operate". Thus, 稼働 combines the ideas of earning and working, hence meaning "operation" or "working." The word comes from the combination of these two kanji, reflecting its meaning of something performing its function and contributing to a process.