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Quadruple VS

Synonym Boundary: "働きます", "働く", "勤める", "作品"

All represent the core concept "work", but require precise selection.

Japanese Option A

働きます

はたらきます (hatarakimasu)
N5 / CEFR
Japanese Option B

働く

はたらく (hataraku)
N5 / CEFR
Japanese Option C

勤める

つとめる (tsutomeru)
N4 / CEFR
Japanese Option D

作品

さくひん (sakuhin)
N3 / CEFR

Quadruple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

When expressing "work" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "働きます", "働く", "勤める", "作品" 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.
  • 働く (はたらく (hataraku) - Level: N5): Maps to "to work" and is used when Describes the act of working or being employed. Polite form is 働きます.
  • 勤める (つとめる (tsutomeru) - Level: N4): Maps to "to work for; to be employed at; to serve" and is used when This verb specifically means 'to be employed at' or 'to work for' a company, organization, or in a specific role. It emphasizes the act of serving or being engaged in a profession, often used with the particle に or で. It differs from 働く.
  • 作品 (さくひん (sakuhin) - Level: N3): Maps to "work (of art, literature, etc.), creation" and is used when Refers to something created by an artist, writer, musician, craftsman, etc., such as a painting, novel, film, or piece of music. It carries a sense of artistic or creative merit..
Mixing these up can easily lead to unnatural translations. Refer to the bilingual context cards below to master the boundaries!
Context for "働きます"
私は毎日8時間働きます。
I work 8 hours every day.
Context for "働く"
私の父は銀行で働いています。
My father works at a bank.
Context for "勤める"
彼は銀行に勤めています。
He works for a bank.
Context for "作品"
この美術館には有名な画家の作品がたくさんあります。
This museum has many works by famous painters.

Synonym Mastery Challenge

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "私は毎日8時間 ___ 。" (Meaning: "I work 8 hours every day.")
🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "働きます" is correct here because it represents "to work" in the context: "I work 8 hours every day.".

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