trabajó
“trabajó” means “worked” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
worked, labored
📝 In Action
Mi hermana trabajó hasta tarde anoche.
A1My sister worked until late last night.
¿Usted trabajó en la oficina el lunes?
A2Did you (formal) work at the office on Monday?
Él trabajó muy duro para terminar el proyecto a tiempo.
A2He worked very hard to finish the project on time.
functioned, operated
📝 In Action
La bomba de agua trabajó toda la noche sin parar.
B1The water pump worked all night without stopping.
El plan de marketing trabajó mejor de lo que esperábamos.
B2The marketing plan worked better than we expected.
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: trabajó
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'trabajó' to describe a single, completed action in the past?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The Spanish word comes from the Late Latin verb *tripaliāre*, which originally meant 'to torture or inflict suffering' using a device called a *tripalium* (a three-staked instrument). Over time, this concept of great physical effort softened to simply mean 'to toil' or 'to work hard.'
First recorded: Around the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'trabajó' have an accent mark?
The accent mark on the 'ó' is necessary to show where the emphasis (stress) falls when you say the word. It also helps distinguish it from other related words like 'trabajo' (the noun, meaning 'work' or 'job').
What is the difference between 'trabajó' and 'trabajaba'?
'Trabajó' is used for actions that are finished and happened at a specific time (e.g., 'She worked for eight hours'). 'Trabajaba' is used for ongoing habits or descriptions in the past (e.g., 'She used to work there' or 'She was working when...').