Spanish word

labor

Pronunciation

IPA/laˈβoɾ/

Meaning

  • feminine nounwork

Example

¿Puedes ayudarme con esta labor?

Can you help me with this work?

Illustration for labor (work)

More examples

La labor doméstica suele pasar desapercibida.

Housework often goes unnoticed.

Core concept

Sustained physical or mental effort that produces a result.

Common phrases

  • labor doméstica

    housework

  • labor social

    social work

  • labor profesional

    professional work

  • labor de investigación

    research work

Similar words

trabajo: Activity performed in exchange for pay.
empleo: A formal job position that provides regular pay and an employer relationship.
ocupación: A person's regular profession or line of work that provides their livelihood.
tarea: A specific task or piece of work carried out within a limited scope or time.

Definition in Spanish

Acción o conjunto de acciones que exige esfuerzo físico o mental para completar una tarea y obtener un resultado.

Word origin

Derived from Latin labor 'toil' and preserved in Spanish to refer to work requiring sustained effort, closely related to the English cognate.

Usage tips

  • Often found in formal collocations such as mano de obra or labor docente; for casual jobs and chores, native speakers typically use trabajo.

Other meanings

  • jobnoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word