Es mi trabajo, es mi responsabilidad.
It's my job, it's my responsibility.
Out in the yard, a strict father explains to his son why he works every day for the family. With mi in front, trabajo is the noun: his job.
From Barreras · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "work" in Spanish
el trabajo
noun: el trabajomasculineverb: trabajar
"Work" in Spanish is el trabajo when you mean a job or the work itself, and trabajar when you mean the verb. Watch the article: Es mi trabajo is "it's my job", but Trabajo aquí means "I work here".
Hear "trabajo" and "trabajar" in real scenes
One noun, two verb forms. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Trabajo donde trabajas.
I work where you work.
On the phone, Jim points out that they work at the same place. With no article, trabajo is the verb, and trabajas is the tú form.
From The Office · Spanish audio
Chandler, ¿en qué trabaja?
Chandler, what does he do for a living?
In a quiz game, the question is about their friend's job. ¿En qué trabaja? is the standard way to ask what someone does, and the -a ending is for he or she.
From Friends · Spanish audio
Work words for everyday life
The noun, the verb, and the phrases built on them.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el trabajo | work, job |
| trabajar | to work |
| ¿En qué trabajas? | What do you do for work? |
| ¡Buen trabajo! | Good job! |
| el compañero de trabajo | coworker |
| funcionar | to work (a machine, a plan) |
Tip: When a phone or a plan works, Spanish switches verbs: Funciona means "it works".
Grammar: el trabajo and trabajar
Four points for the noun and the verb.
Article or no article
el trabajo, mi trabajo: the noun. Trabajo with no article at the start of a sentence is the verb: Trabajo en una oficina.Regular -ar endings
trabajo, trabajas, trabaja, trabajamos, trabajan. The ending tells you who works.Working as something
Use de or como before the job, with no article: Trabajo de camarero. I work as a waiter.The throaty j
The j is a strong h from the back of the throat, and the b between vowels is soft: trah-BAH-hoh.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Es mi trabajo.
It's my job.
Trabajo en una oficina.
I work in an office.
Trabajo en el aula doce.
I work in classroom twelve.
Es mi correo electrónico del trabajo.
It's my work email.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗Voy a trabajo
✓Voy al trabajo / Voy a trabajar
Use al trabajo for the place and a trabajar for the activity. A and el join into al.
✗El ordenador no trabaja (the computer doesn't work)
✓El ordenador no funciona
Machines don't trabajar in Spanish. They funcionar.
✗Trabajo como un profesor
✓Trabajo como profesor
Leave out un before a job title.
Practice: 3 quick exercises
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1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
The other 31 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Trabajo ends in bajo, which means low. Picture a worker bending low over a big job.
Questions about "work" in Spanish
How do you say work in Spanish?
The noun is el trabajo (work, job) and the verb is trabajar (to work). I work is trabajo.
How do you ask "what do you do" in Spanish?
¿En qué trabajas? To someone you call usted, say ¿En qué trabaja?
How do you say "I'm going to work" in Spanish?
Voy al trabajo for the place, or voy a trabajar for the activity. You'll hear both every day.
How do you say "it doesn't work" in Spanish?
No funciona. For machines and plans, the verb is funcionar, not trabajar.
