trabajé
“trabajé” means “I worked” in Spanish (Completed action in the past).
I worked
Also: I labored, I put in the effort
📝 In Action
Ayer trabajé diez horas en la oficina.
A1Yesterday I worked ten hours in the office.
Trabajé mucho para terminar el proyecto a tiempo.
A2I worked hard to finish the project on time.
Cuando era estudiante, trabajé en un restaurante.
A2When I was a student, I worked in a restaurant.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: trabajé
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'trabajé'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word comes from the Late Latin verb *tripaliare*, which originally meant 'to torture' or 'to inflict pain.' This meaning came from *tripalium*, a device made of three stakes used to restrain animals or, historically, for torture. Over time, the meaning softened, evolving from 'to suffer/toil' into the general concept of 'to work' or 'to labor' that we use today.
First recorded: Around the 13th century (in its modern form)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'trabajamos' mean both 'we work' (present) and 'we worked' (past)?
Yes, 'trabajamos' is the same for both the present tense and the simple past (Preterite) for 'nosotros' (we). You must rely on context or time markers (like 'ayer' or 'hoy') to know if the speaker means 'we work' or 'we worked'.
Is 'trabajé' used for short or long periods of work?
'Trabajé' can be used for any duration, as long as the work is completely finished and happened at a specific time in the past. You can say 'Trabajé una hora' (I worked for one hour) or 'Trabajé toda mi vida' (I worked all my life).