Dive into the world of 働, a crucial N4 kanji that means 'to work' or 'to labor'! This character is a building block for Japanese learners, appearing frequently in daily conversations and written materials about employment, activities, and effort. Understanding 働 is also a great way to grasp how Japanese culture often values diligence and hard work.
Meaning
The kanji 働 (はたらく) primarily means 'work', 'labor', 'toil', or 'to function'. It describes a person putting effort into a task or objective. Unlike the kanji 動 (ドウ/うごく), which signifies 'to move' in a general sense (e.g., a car moving, an object shifting), 働 specifically emphasizes human or mechanical effort directed at a purpose. This often implies productive labor or diligent activity.
The origin of 働 is quite unique because it's a kokuji (国字), meaning it was created in Japan rather than imported from China like most kanji. Structurally, it's a semantic-phonetic compound. The left-hand radical, 亻 (にんべん - ninben), is a variant of 人 (ひと - person), which immediately tells us the kanji relates to people. The right-hand component, 動 (ドウ/うごく), suggests 'movement' or 'action'. It also hints at the sound 'ドウ,' though this on'yomi is rarely used for 働 itself.
Visually, then, 働 represents 'a person moving' or 'a person taking action,' leading directly to its core meaning of 'working' or 'laboring.' This blend perfectly illustrates purposeful human activity.
The kanji 働 consists of 11 strokes and is taught in the 6th grade of Japanese elementary schools, making it a standard character in the Joyo Kanji list. Being an N4 JLPT kanji, it's crucial for intermediate learners to recognize and use in diverse contexts, from daily life to professional settings. With its clear visual structure—combining the 'person' radical with 'move'—its meaning becomes intuitive once you understand its components.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
As a kokuji (国字) – a kanji created in Japan – 働 stands apart from most characters. Consequently, it doesn't have a commonly used native Chinese-derived on'yomi. Although some dictionaries might list 'ドウ' (DOU) by analogy with its component 動, this on'yomi is almost never encountered in modern Japanese. Therefore, Japanese learners should focus exclusively on its kun'yomi.
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The only widely used reading for 働 is its kun'yomi, はたらく (hataraku), the verb for 'to work' or 'to labor'. This single reading covers a broad spectrum of meanings, from physical labor and intellectual effort to the functioning of machinery.
働く (hataraku) — This is the most common form, meaning 'to work', 'to labor', 'to function', or 'to operate'. It's an intransitive verb. For example: 「会社で働いています。」 (Kaisha de hataraite imasu.) — "I work at a company."
働き (hataraki) — This is the noun form derived from the verb, meaning 'work', 'function', 'effort', or 'performance'. It can also refer to a person's diligence or activity. For instance: 「彼の会社への働きは素晴らしい。」 (Kare no kaisha e no hataraki wa subarashii.) — "His contribution to the company is excellent."
働き手 (hatarakite) — Refers to a 'worker' or 'laborer,' specifically someone who contributes to the workforce. For example: 「新しい働き手が必要です。」 (Atarashii hatarakite ga hitsuyō desu.) — "New workers are needed."
働き者 (hatarakimono) — Describes a 'hard worker' or a 'diligent person'. For example: 「彼は本当の働き者だ。」 (Kare wa hontō no hatarakimono da.) — "He's a real hard worker."
Common Words & Compounds
The kanji 働 appears in many crucial Japanese words and compounds, often directly related to the concept of work, labor, and human activity. Mastering them is key to effective daily communication and comprehending topics related to work.
Words related to types of work and workers:
共働き (tomobataraki) — dual-income household; refers to both spouses working.
働き手 (hatarakite) — worker, laborer; someone who provides labor.
働き者 (hatarakimono) — hard worker, diligent person.
Words describing work conditions and practices:
働き方 (hatarakikata) — way of working; refers to work styles or methods.
働き口 (hatarakiguchi) — job opening, place of employment; a position where one can work.
働きがい (hatarakigai) — something worth working for; a sense of purpose or fulfillment in one's work.
働きやすい (hatarakiyasui) — easy to work; describes a comfortable or conducive work environment.
働きにくい (hatarakinikui) — hard to work; describes a difficult or unconducive work environment.
Other useful compounds and expressions with 働:
働き盛り (hatarakizakari) — The prime of one's working life, heyday of work. For example: 「彼はまさに働き盛りだ。」 (Kare wa masa ni hatarakizakari da.) — "He's right in the prime of his working life."
働きかける (hatarakikakeru) — To work on; to appeal to; to exert influence on. For example: 「政府に政策の改善を働きかけた。」 (Seifu ni seisaku no kaizen o hatarakikaketa.) — "We appealed to the government for policy improvements."
Example Sentences
Here are some example sentences demonstrating the use of 働 in various contexts, ranging from simple expressions to more complex ideas.
彼は毎日一生懸命働きます。
Kare wa mainichi isshoukenmei hatarakimasu.
He works hard every day.
私の夢は、海外で働くことです。
Watashi no yume wa, kaigai de hataraku koto desu.
My dream is to work overseas.
会社で長く働きたいと思っています。
Kaisha de nagaku hatarakitai to omotte imasu.
I hope to work at the company for a long time.
この機械は一日中止まらずに働いています。
Kono kikai wa ichinichijū tomarazu ni hataraite imasu.
This machine operates all day without stopping.
最近、家で働く人が増えました。
Saikin, ie de hataraku hito ga fuemashita.
Recently, the number of people working from home has increased.
結婚してからも、彼女は共働きで家計を支えています。
Kekkon shite kara mo, kanojo wa tomobataraki de kakei o sasaete imasu.
Even after getting married, she supports the household by working.
若い頃は本当に夜遅くまで働いたものです。
Wakai koro wa hontō ni yoru osoku made hataraita mono desu.
When I was young, I used to truly work until late at night.
彼は誰よりも真面目に働く、素晴らしい働き者です。
Kare wa dare yori mo majime ni hataraku, subarashii hatarakimono desu.
He is an amazing hard worker who works more diligently than anyone else.
定年後も、健康のためにパートタイムで働く人が多い。
Teinengo mo, kenkō no tame ni pātotaimu de hataraku hito ga ooi.
Even after retirement, many people work part-time for their health.
会社は、従業員がより快適に働けるように改善策を講じています。
Kaisha wa, jūgyōin ga yori kaiteki ni hatarakeru yō ni kaizensaku o kōjite imasu.
The company is implementing improvements so that employees can work more comfortably.
Related Kanji
- 弟 — Younger Brother, Junior (Kanji N4)
- 以 — By Means Of, With, From (Kanji N4)
- 黒 — Black, Dark (Kanji N4)
- 洗 — Wash (Kanji N4)
- 短 — Short, brief, defect (Kanji N4)
- 田 — Rice Field (Kanji N4)
Memory Tip
To effectively remember 働, simply visualize its components: the left side is the 'person' radical (亻), and the right side is 動, meaning 'move' or 'action'. Picture a 'person' (亻) purposefully 'moving' (動) with effort. What are they doing? They're working! This vivid image of a person taking action directly conveys the core meaning: 'to work' or 'to labor'. You could also connect its 11 strokes to the diligence often required for work, if a numerical anchor helps you. Ultimately, focus on that core image: a person in purposeful motion, engaged in productive activity.