労力

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 労力(ろうりょく) is a noun for the physical and mental effort a task requires.
• Basic usage: It is used to discuss how much work is needed or how much of that burden has been reduced.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Effort required and effort reduced
  • In 労力が要る, が marks the effort needed; in 労力を減らす, を marks what is reduced. The automation example focuses on reducing the workload.
• The focus of 努力
  • 努力(どりょく) focuses on striving toward a goal, while 労力 focuses on the effort a task consumes. Although both may translate as ‘effort,’ 労力を減らす means reducing the effort required, not becoming less diligent.