Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "働く" vs "うる"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
働く
はたらく (hataraku)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
うる
うる (uru)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 働く and うる are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
働く (はたらく (hataraku)) represents "to work" (Level: N5) and typically represents Describes the act of working or being employed. Polite form is 働きます.
On the other hand, うる (うる (uru)) translates to "to sell" (Level: N5) and is used for Transitive verb meaning 'to sell'. Used for commercial transactions. The opposite is 買う. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "働く"
私の父は銀行で働いています。
My father works at a bank.
Bilingual Sentence for "うる"
この店は色々なパンを売っています。
This shop sells various kinds of bread.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "私の父は銀行で働いています。" (Meaning: "My father works at a bank.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "働く" fits here because it represents "to work" in the context: "My father works at a bank.".