働 (dòng) - Work, labor — specifically refers to physical labor & used in Japanese and occasionally in Chinese contexts,

働Tone 4

dòng ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

丁恩

働 · dòng

Work, labor — specifically refers to physical labor or work;

used in Japanese and occasionally in Chinese contexts, particularly in reference to Japanese culture or labor.

Work, labor — specifically refers to physical laborused in Japanese and occasionally in Chinese contexts,

Usage highlights

To workLaborWorkerLabor unionLabor forceLabor market

Synonyms

  • 劳— labor, toil
  • 工— work, labor
  • 作— work, make

Antonyms

  • 休— rest, break
  • 懒— lazy, idle

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He works in a factory (工場で働く).
  • Labor movement (労働運動).
  • Blue-collar worker (労働者).
  • The concept of work ethic (働き甲斐).

Collocations

  • To work(働く)
  • Labor(労働)
  • Worker(労働者)
  • Labor union(労働組合)
  • Labor force(労働力)
  • Labor market(労働市場)

Idioms

  • Work hard, play hard(よく働き、よく遊べ)
  • Labor creates all wealth(労働はすべての富を生む)
  • The dignity of labor(労働の尊厳)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Primarily a Japanese kokuji (character created in Japan), though occasionally used in Chinese contexts, especially when discussing Japanese labor culture.
  • Strongly associated with Japanese work ethic and labor movements.
  • Represents the value placed on hard work and productivity in East Asian industrial societies.

FAQ