trabajar

Senses

1. 1.

   to work

   to engage in labor or employment to earn income

2. 2.

   to work (on something)

   to exert effort toward completing or developing a task or goal

3. 3.

   to function; to operate

   to work properly or be in working order (of machines, systems)

4. 4.

   to work (dough, material)

   to shape or manipulate material through effort

Examples

• "Ella trabaja como ingeniera en una empresa de tecnología."

  She works as an engineer at a technology company.

• "Estoy trabajando en mi proyecto de tesis."

  I am working on my thesis project.

• "Este motor no trabaja bien; necesita mantenimiento."

  This engine is not working properly; it needs maintenance.

Usage

Trabajar is the most common verb for "work" in Spanish, used for both employment and general effort. Use "trabajar en" or "trabajar en + gerund" to specify what one is working on. Colloquially, trabajar can also mean "to be well-suited" (e.g., "ese color te trabaja" = "that color works for you").