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A simplistic illustration showing three people actively digging in a garden with shovels.

trabajan

trah-BAH-hahn

verbA1regular ar
they work?speaking about a group of people or things,you work (plural, formal)?addressing a group politely (Ustedes)
Also:they are working?present action, often interchangeable with the continuous tense,they function?referring to machines or systems

Quick Reference

infinitivetrabajar
gerundtrabajando
past Participletrabajado

📝 In Action

Mis vecinos trabajan en la fábrica de coches.

A1

My neighbors work at the car factory.

¿Ustedes trabajan hasta tarde hoy?

A2

Do you all (formal) work until late today?

Las baterías nuevas trabajan mucho mejor que las viejas.

B1

The new batteries function much better than the old ones.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • laboran (they labor)
  • funcionan (they function (machines))

Antonyms

  • descansan (they rest)
  • holgazanean (they loaf/are lazy)

Common Collocations

  • trabajan a tiempo parcial – they work part-time
  • trabajan duro – they work hard

Idioms & Expressions

  • trabajan como burros – They work extremely hard (like slaves)

💡 Grammar Points

Who is 'trabajan'?

This form always refers to a group: 'ellos' (they, masculine/mixed), 'ellas' (they, feminine), or 'ustedes' (you all/y'all, formal).

Action vs. Habit

The simple present 'trabajan' can mean they work (habitually) or they are working (right now). If you need to emphasize the 'right now' action, use 'están trabajando'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Confusing the 'You' forms

Mistake: "Using 'trabajan' when talking to one person formally (usted)."

Correction: Use 'trabaja' for one formal person (Usted trabaja). 'Trabajan' is only for a group (Ustedes).

⭐ Usage Tips

Job Title Question

A very common way to ask a group about their profession is: '¿En qué trabajan?' (What do they/you all do for work?)

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedtrabaja
yotrabajo
tútrabajas
ellos/ellas/ustedestrabajan
nosotrostrabajamos
vosotrostrabajáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedtrabajaba
yotrabajaba
tútrabajabas
ellos/ellas/ustedestrabajaban
nosotrostrabajábamos
vosotrostrabajabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedtrabajó
yotrabajé
tútrabajaste
ellos/ellas/ustedestrabajaron
nosotrostrabajamos
vosotrostrabajasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedtrabaje
yotrabaje
tútrabajes
ellos/ellas/ustedestrabajen
nosotrostrabajemos
vosotrostrabajéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedtrabajara
yotrabajara
tútrabajaras
ellos/ellas/ustedestrabajaran
nosotrostrabajáramos
vosotrostrabajarais
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: trabajan

Question 1 of 2

Which English phrase best translates 'Ellos trabajan en el jardín'?

📚 More Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'trabajan' regular or irregular?

'Trabajan' is part of the verb 'trabajar,' which is a fully regular verb. This means its endings follow the standard, predictable pattern for all '-ar' verbs in Spanish, making it easy to conjugate.

When do I use 'trabajan' versus 'trabajaron'?

Use 'trabajan' (present tense) to talk about actions happening now or habits ('They work every day'). Use 'trabajaron' (preterite tense) to talk about a finished action in the past ('They worked yesterday').