work

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 働 expresses working or functioning; 働く is read はたらく, and 労働 is read ろうどう.
• Basic usage: 会社で働く means working at a company, while 働く used of a spring closing a door describes its function.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Inflection
  • The connecting form of 働く is 働いて, and its past form is 働いた.
  • In 会社で働いている, で marks the place of work.