Why Trabajar Is the Verb of Small Talk
Trabajar is the verb you need in the first five minutes of any conversation: where you work, what you do, who you work for. It is regular, and the small words after it decide the meaning: en for the place, de for the job, para for the boss.
Learn the six chunks below and you can talk about work without translating word by word.
Pattern 1: Trabajar en… — "To work at / in…"
Use en for the place or the field. ¿En qué trabajas? is the standard way to ask what someone does. To say how long, see [Llevar] Chunks.
- ¿En qué trabajas? — What do you do for a living?
- Trabajo en un banco. — I work at a bank.
- Llevo cinco años trabajando en esta escuela. — I've been working at this school for five years.
Chunk to learn:
Trabajar en + [lugar / sector] / ¿En qué trabajas?
Pattern 2: Trabajar de… — "To work as…"
Use de for your job title: you work "of" waiter. ¿De qué trabajas? asks which job you do, and como works too. For ser with professions, see Ser vs. Estar Chunks.
- Trabajo de camarero. — I work as a waiter.
- Trabajó de enfermera diez años. — She worked as a nurse for ten years.
- ¿De qué trabajas? — What's your job?
Chunk to learn:
Trabajar de + [profesión] / ¿De qué trabajas?
Pattern 3: Trabajar desde casa — "To work from home"
Add the way you work right after the verb: from home, part time, for yourself. These are the chunks of modern work. For por mi cuenta, see [Contar] Chunks.
- Trabajo desde casa los lunes. — I work from home on Mondays.
- Ella trabaja a tiempo parcial. — She works part time.
- Mi hermano trabaja por cuenta propia. — My brother is self-employed.
Chunk to learn:
Trabajar + [desde casa / a tiempo parcial / por cuenta propia]
Pattern 4: Trabajar como un burro — "To work like a dog"
Spanish blames the donkey, not the dog. Use it for someone who works very hard, usually for little reward. De sol a sol is its more poetic cousin: from sunrise to sunset. For the obligation, see [Tener Que] Chunks.
- Trabajo como un burro y no me alcanza. — I work like a dog and it's not enough.
- Trabajamos de sol a sol en la cosecha. — We work from sunup to sundown at harvest.
- Mi padre trabajó duro toda la vida. — My father worked hard all his life.
Chunk to learn:
Trabajar como un burro / de sol a sol / duro
Pattern 5: Trabajar para / con… — "To work for / with…"
Use para for the boss or the company and con for the colleague or team. ¿Para quién trabajas? asks who your employer is.
- Trabajo para una empresa grande. — I work for a big company.
- Trabajo con mi hermano. — I work with my brother.
- ¿Para quién trabajas? — Who do you work for?
Chunk to learn:
Trabajar para + [empresa / jefe] / Trabajar con + [persona]
Pattern 6: Me cuesta trabajo… — "It's hard for me to…"
Here the noun trabajo means effort. It is especially common in Mexico, while Spain often drops it: me cuesta levantarme. For learning things that are hard, see [Aprender] Chunks.
- Me cuesta trabajo levantarme temprano. — It's hard for me to get up early.
- Me costó trabajo entenderlo. — It was hard for me to understand it.
- Cuesta trabajo creerlo. — It's hard to believe.
Chunk to learn:
Me cuesta trabajo + [infinitivo] / Cuesta trabajo creerlo
Trabajar vs. Chambear vs. Laburar
Trabajar is the neutral verb everywhere. In Mexico and Peru, people say chambear and la chamba for work and job. In Argentina and Uruguay, it is laburar and el laburo. Understand them when you hear them, but use trabajar yourself until you are sure.
Start with ¿en qué trabajas? and trabajo de…. You will use both in the first five minutes of any new conversation.
This post is part of the Spanish Chunk Series — a growing collection of chunk patterns for natural Spanish.