noun
time and effort; labor; trouble; time-consuming task
Often used for the effort, trouble, or time needed to do something, especially in phrases such as 手間がかかる, 手間を省く, and 手間を取らせる. It can also refer to the troublesome or time-consuming work itself.
この料理は手間がかかるが、その分おいしい。
This dish takes a lot of time and effort, but it tastes that much better.
I bought pre-prepared vegetables to save myself the trouble.
領収書を一枚ずつ確認するのは、かなりの手間だ。
Checking the receipts one by one is quite a time-consuming task.
noun
labor charge; pay for labor; wages
An abbreviated use corresponding to 手間賃. It is most natural in contexts such as estimates, repair work, construction, or pay for manual labor, where 手間 means the charge or payment for the work done.
See also: 手間賃
見積もりは、材料費三千円、手間二千円です。
The estimate is 3,000 yen for materials and 2,000 yen for labor.