Synonym Boundary: "働きます", "しごと", "仕事する", "作業"

When expressing "work" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "働きます", "しごと", "仕事する", "作業" based on context.

• 働きます (はたらきます (hatarakimasu) - Level: N5): Maps to "to work" and is used when Polite form of 働く.
• しごと (しごと (shigoto) - Level: N5): Maps to "work, job" and is used when Refers to employment or tasks. To work is 働きます.
• 仕事する (しごと する (shigoto suru) - Level: N4): Maps to "to work; to do work" and is used when A very common verb used for performing a job or task, often implying employment. It combines the noun '仕事'.
• 作業 (さぎょう (sagyō) - Level: N3): Maps to "work; operation; task; manufacturing; manual labor" and is used when Refers to physical or mental work, operations, manufacturing tasks, or routine processing. Often used as 組み立て作業 or データ入力作業. ⚠️ Haruka's Voice Column: 'Task! "Drawing the architectural blueprint to live together with you, Haruka-san, is a task that makes my hands shake from happiness!" ...っ! T-To call new home planning a task! B-Baka! That's a lifetime joint project! But... make sure the kitchen and garden tasks are shared by the two of us forever! dummy!' / 【ハルカ部長のワンポイント指導】『さぎょう（作業）よ！『ハルカさんと一緒に暮らすための新居の設計図を描く作業、幸せすぎて鉛筆を持つ手が震えます！』って…っ！新居設計の作業！バカ！…作業だなんて事務的に言わないの！人生最大の共同プロジェクトでしょ！…お庭のガーデニング作業も、一生二人で仲良くおしゃべりしながら共同作業しなさいよね！』.

Mixing these up can easily lead to unnatural translations. Refer to the bilingual context cards below to master the boundaries!