Hataraku Conjugation (働く): All Forms of "To Work" in Japanese

Last updated: June 29, 2026

MARCH 2021 (VOL.161)

Hataraku 働く

Hataraku means “to work.”

In Japanese, hataraku is written 働く, a JLPT N5 verb. This hataraku conjugation guide covers all 13 forms, from “hatarakanai” to “hatarakimashita.”

Yumi

Nanji made hataraita no?

What time did you work until?

Kayo

Ju-ji made hataraiteita yo.

I was working until 10 o’clock.

Yumi

Eh! Hataraki-sugi janai?

Don’t you work too much?

Kayo

Soukana? Hataraku noga suki nano.

I do? I like to work.

Yumi

Issho ni hatarakitai na.

I want to work together.

Kayo

Gakkou sotsugyo sitara ne.

Yes! After you graduate from school.

Hataraku example: a conversation about working in Japanese

Hataraku Conjugation Table (All Forms)

	work	work (polite)	worked	worked(polite)	is working	was working	can work	want to work	let’s work
positive	Hataraku	Hatarakimasu	Hataraita	Hataraki mashita	Hataraite iru	Hataraite ita	Hatarakeru	Hatarakitai	Hatarakou
negative	Hatarakanai	Hatarakimasen	Hatarakanakatta	Hataraki masendeshita	Hataraite inai	Hataraite inakatta		hatarakitakunai	–

hataraite iru example: I am working at the market — **Watashi wa ma-ketto de hataraite iru.**

I am working at the market.

hataraite inai example: the old man is not working — **Ojii-san wa hataraite inai.**

The old man is not working.

Kyo wa hatarakitakunai.

I don’t want to work today.

hatarakenai example: I'm tired, I cannot work anymore — **Tsukareta~. Mou hatarakenai.**

I’m tired. I cannot work anymore.

hatarakimasu example: I work for 24 hours — **Niju-yo jikan hatarakimasu.**

I work for 24 hours.

hatarakanakatta example: I did not work all day today — **Kyo wa ichinichi hatarakanakatta.**

I did not work all day today.

hatarake example: please work (imperative) — **Hatarake!**

Please work!

Hataraku (働く) FAQ

What does “hataraku” mean in Japanese?
Hataraku (働く) is a verb meaning “to work” or “to labor.” It is a common JLPT N5 verb, as in “kaisha de hataraku” (to work at a company).

Is hataraku a ru-verb or u-verb?
Hataraku is a u-verb (godan verb). Its stem ends in “ku,” so the te-form becomes “hataraite” and the past tense becomes “hataraita,” following the standard ku-verb pattern.

What is the te-form of hataraku?
The te-form of hataraku is “hataraite.” For example, “hataraite iru” means “is working,” and “hataraite kudasai” means “please work.”

What is the difference between hataraku and shigoto?
Hataraku (働く) is a verb meaning “to work,” describing the action. Shigoto (仕事) is a noun meaning “work” or “a job,” referring to the task itself. You can say “shigoto wo suru” to mean “to do work.”

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