How to Say "work!" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “work!” is “trabaja” — use this when giving a command to one person you know well, like a friend or family member (informal 'tú' form)..
trabaja
/tra-BA-ha//tɾaˈβa.xa/
Examples
¡No te quedes ahí parado, trabaja!
Don't just stand there, work!
Hijo, trabaja en tus deberes antes de jugar.
Son, work on your homework before playing.
This is a Command
When you see 'trabaja' used to tell someone what to do (usually with an exclamation point!), it's the command form for 'tú' (the informal 'you'). It's how you'd tell a friend or family member to work.
Using a command in a question
Mistake: “¿Trabaja tú aquí?”
Correction: For a question, say '¿Tú trabajas aquí?'. The command form 'trabaja' is only for telling someone what to do, not for asking questions.
trabaje
trah-BAH-heh[tɾaˈβa.xe]
Examples
Señor García, por favor, trabaje en este proyecto primero.
Mr. García, please, work on this project first.
¡Trabaje con nosotros! Su ayuda es vital.
Work with us! Your help is vital.
The Formal Command
To give a formal order to a boss, an elder, or someone you don't know well (usted), you use the same verb form as the 'yo' and 'él/ella' present subjunctive: 'trabaje'.
Negative Commands
To tell someone formally not to work, simply add 'no' before the command: 'No trabaje mañana' (Don't work tomorrow).
Using the informal command formally
Mistake: “Jefe, trabaja más.”
Correction: Jefe, trabaje más. (When addressing a 'Jefe' (Boss), formality requires 'trabaje', not the familiar 'trabaja').
Informal vs. Formal Command
Related Translations
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