trabajó
/trah-bah-HOH/
worked
She worked (trabajó) hard to finish planting the garden.
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
Past Tense for Completed Actions
Use 'trabajó' for actions that started and finished at a specific point in the past (like yesterday, last year, or Monday).
The Accent Mark
The accent on the 'ó' is essential! It tells you the stress falls there, distinguishing it from 'trabajo' (I work/work, noun).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing Past Tenses
Mistake: "Cuando era joven, él trabajaba en una tienda por un año. (When he was young, he worked in a store for one year.)"
Correction: Cuando era joven, él trabajó en una tienda por un año. (Use 'trabajó' for the specific duration of one year.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Who is 'trabajó'?
Remember that 'trabajó' can mean 'he worked,' 'she worked,' 'it worked,' or 'you (formal) worked.' Context usually tells you which person is doing the action.
The old engine functioned (trabajó) well after the repairs.
trabajó(verb)
functioned
?a machine or system operated successfully
,operated
?a device or mechanism
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
Inanimate Subjects
In this context, the subject of 'trabajó' is usually a machine, a system, or an abstract concept like a strategy or plan.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ 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
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...').