Translation guide
The English word 'labour' (or 'labor' in American English) covers several distinct meanings: physical or mental work, workers as a group, the process of childbirth, and political parties representing workers. This guide helps learners choose the right Japanese expression for each context.
Physical or mental effort, especially when difficult or tiring.
manual labour · hard labour · the fruits of one's labour
The most direct equivalent for 'labour' as work, especially in economic, legal, or formal contexts. Often used in compounds.
Long hours of labour are bad for your health.
General word for 'work' or 'job'. Less formal than 労働 and more common in everyday speech.
It was hard labour today.
Emphasizes hardship, toil, or trouble. Often used for personal effort and struggles.
He laboured to support his family.
Refers to the effort or energy expended, often in the context of saving or wasting labour.
This machine saves a lot of labour.
People who do physical or non-managerial work, considered as a group or class.
skilled labour · labour union · labour shortage
Standard term for 'worker' or 'labourer'. Can be used for individuals or the working class collectively.
The labourers demanded a pay raise.
Abbreviation of 労働組合 (labour union). Used in contexts of organized labour.
Means 'labour force' or 'workforce', referring to the supply of workers.
The process of giving birth, especially the period of contractions and delivery.
to go into labour · labour pains · a difficult labour
Specifically refers to labour pains or contractions during childbirth.
Labour has started.
General term for childbirth or delivery. Can refer to the whole process.
Polite/common term for childbirth, often used in everyday conversation.
Referring to a political party that traditionally represents workers' interests, especially the Labour Party in the UK or similar parties.
the Labour Party · vote Labour
The standard translation for 'Labour Party'. Used for the UK party and others with similar names.
The Labour Party in the UK is in opposition.
労働 (roudou) is more formal and often used in economic, legal, or academic contexts. 仕事 (shigoto) is the everyday word for 'work' or 'job'. Use 労働 for 'labour' as a concept (e.g., labour market, labour rights), and 仕事 for general work activities.
Reform of the labour market is necessary.
I have a lot of work today.
While 'labour' can mean childbirth in English, 労働 (roudou) never means childbirth in Japanese. Use 陣痛 (jintsuu) for labour pains or 出産 (shussan) for delivery.
The labour union is planning a strike.
This country depends on cheap labour.
彼女は長時間の出産だった。
She had a long labour.
The labour was easy.