JLPT N5 vocabulary
働く: meaning, reading and conjugation
Reading and pitch accent
はたらく0Heiban · flat
Godan verb (u-verb)
Meaning
- to work, labor
- to function, operate, be effective, work (i.e. ... works), come into play
- to commit (e.g. a crime), perpetrate, do, act, practice
- to be conjugated (linguistics)

Conjugation
| Form | Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Basics | ||
| Plain present辞書形 · ない形 | 働く | 働 |
| Plain pastた形 · なかった形 | 働 | 働 |
| Polite presentます形 | 働 | 働 |
| Polite pastました形 | 働 | 働 |
| Te-formて形 | 働 | 働 |
| Conditions and moods | ||
| If (-ba)ば形 | 働 | 働 |
| If / when (-tara)たら形 | 働 | 働 |
| Let’s / will意向形 | 働 | —not in common use |
| Want toたい形 | 働 | 働 |
| Command / don’t命令形 · 禁止形 | 働 | 働く |
| Can · passive · causative | ||
| Can (potential)可能形 | 働 | 働 |
| Passive受身形 | 働 | 働 |
| Make / let使役形 | 働 | 働 |
| Be made to使役受身形 | 働 | 働 |
Example sentences
家族に仕送りをせんがために、彼は必死に働いている。
He works desperately in order to send money to his family.
この会社の給料がこんなに安くては、だれも働きたくないよ。
With wages this low at this company, no one wants to work here.
入院を経てすっかり回復した彼女は、倒れる前以上に働いた。
After being hospitalized and recovering, she worked even more than before she fell ill.