Inklingo
Dictionary

trabajas

trah-BAH-hastɾaˈβaxas

“trabajas” means “you work” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

you workA1Verb

informal singular present tense (tú)

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you functionB1Verb

when personifying a system or machine

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you work, are you working?Also: you are employed

VerbA1regular ar
A young person is kneeling in a garden, carefully planting a small red flower into the soil.
infinitivetrabajar
gerundtrabajando
past Participletrabajado

📝 In Action

¿Dónde trabajas ahora, Marta?

A1

Where do you work now, Marta?

Si trabajas duro, tendrás éxito.

A2

If you work hard, you will have success.

Trabajas demasiado, necesitas un descanso.

A1

You work too much; you need a break.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • laboras (you labor)
  • bregas (you struggle/toil (informal))

Antonyms

  • descansas (you rest)
  • holgazaneas (you laze around)

Common Collocations

  • trabajas en casa – you work from home
  • trabajas por turnos – you work in shifts

Idioms & Expressions

  • trabajas como un burro – You work extremely hard (like a mule)

you function, you operateAlso: you are running

VerbB1regular ar
A simple, brightly colored conveyor belt is actively moving blue boxes along a track inside a stylized factory.
infinitivetrabajar
gerundtrabajando
past Participletrabajado

📝 In Action

Si sigues ese método, trabajas con mucha más eficiencia.

B1

If you follow that method, you operate with much more efficiency.

¿Cómo trabajas con estos materiales tan viejos?

B1

How do you manage/work with these old materials?

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • trabajas con calma – you operate calmly

Indicative

Present

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

Imperfect

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

Preterite

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

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

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

Imperfect Subjunctive

yotrabajara/trabajase
tútrabajaras/trabajases
él/ella/ustedtrabajara/trabajase
nosotrostrabajáramos/trabajásemos
vosotrostrabajarais/trabajaseis
ellos/ellas/ustedestrabajaran/trabajasen
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Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "trabajas" in Spanish:

you functionyou operate

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: trabajas

Question 1 of 2

If you are speaking formally to your boss, which word should you use instead of 'trabajas'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
trabajo(work (noun) or I work (verb)) — Noun / Verb
trabajador(worker / hard-working (adjective)) — Noun / Adjective
trabajando(working (gerund)) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes
hablasandas
📚 Etymology

The word comes from a Latin root related to hard labor and difficulty. The original word, *tripalium*, was an instrument of restraint or torture. Over time, the meaning softened from 'to suffer/torment' to simply 'to work' or 'to toil hard.'

First recorded: Around the 13th century in Spanish.

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: trabalhasCatalan: treballes

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'trabajas' and 'trabaja'?

'Trabajas' means 'you work' when speaking to one person informally (tú). 'Trabaja' means 'he/she/it works' OR 'you work' when speaking to one person formally (usted).

Is 'trabajas' only used for paid jobs?

No. While it often refers to employment, it can also mean 'to make an effort' or 'to focus on a task,' like 'trabajas en tu tarea' (you work on your homework).