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Kotomora

働

work, (kokuji)

JLPTN4StatusJōyō · grade 4FrequencyTop 500Strokes13

Readings

On'yomi

  • ドウ

Kun'yomi

  • はたら.く

Meaning

働 centers on the action of working, especially physical or employed labor. It is a Japan-made kokuji that combines the idea of a person with movement to express working.

Most common words using 働

20 of 247
  • 働くはたらく
    N5

    to work; to labor; to labour

  • 労働ろうどう
    N3

    labor; labour; work

  • 働きはたらき
    N3

    work; labor; labour

  • 稼働かどう

    operation (of a machine); running

  • 労働省ろうどうしょう

    Ministry of Labour (now Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)

  • 働きかけはたらきかけ

    pressure; encouragement; urging; promoting

  • 共働きともばたらき
    N1

    (husband and wife) both working; dual income

  • 労働党ろうどうとう

    Labour Party; Labor Party

  • 重労働じゅうろうどう
    N2

    heavy labor; heavy labour; hard work

  • 実働じつどう

    actual work

  • 働き者はたらきもの
    N3

    hard worker; hardworking person

  • 働かせるはたらかせる

    to put someone to work; to make someone work

  • 働きかけるはたらきかける
    N1

    to work on (someone); to appeal to; to make approaches to; to pressure; to exert influence on; to seek action from

  • 働かすはたらかす

    to put someone to work; to make someone work

  • 別働隊べつどうたい

    flying column; detached force

  • 働き手はたらきて

    worker; breadwinner; supporter

  • 下働きしたばたらき

    subordinate work; assistant

  • 働き蜂はたらきばち

    worker bee

  • 働きがいはたらきがい

    job satisfaction; quality of work life; reason to work

  • 労働者ろうどうしゃ
    N1

    worker

Explore all words using 働 →

Study

Etymology

働 is a kokuji (Japanese-made kanji) that combines 亻 (person) with 動 (move) to express a person moving to work. It was created in Japan and does not have a Chinese origin.

Meaning mnemonic

A person 亻 is moving 動, so they are working. Picture a worker in motion, actively doing their job.

Reading mnemonic

For ドウ, imagine a person working so hard they are moving like a dough-kneading machine: dough -> ドウ, and the person 亻 keeps moving 動.