1Work or labor — the physical or mental effort a person puts into a job or task.
今日の働きはこれで終わりにします。
That's it for today's work.
この工場では体力を使う働きが多い。
There is a lot of physically demanding work at this factory.
農家の働きは季節によって大きく変わる。
Farmers' work changes a great deal depending on the season.
2The achievement, ability, or effort someone (or something) displays; used when evaluating a person's contribution or skill.
彼女の働きのおかげで、プロジェクトは無事に終わった。
Thanks to her efforts, the project was finished without a hitch.
その研究者の働きが新薬の開発につながった。
That researcher's efforts led to the development of a new drug.
彼は入社してすぐに働きを認められ、昇進した。
Soon after joining the company, his abilities were recognized and he was promoted.
3The income or pay one earns by working; a somewhat old-fashioned or regional usage.
季節労働者の働きは日当で支払われることが多い。
Seasonal workers' earnings are often paid as a daily wage.
今年は働きが少なく、貯金がずいぶん減った。
My earnings were low this year, so my savings shrank considerably.
4The action, function, or role something performs; the operation or effect produced by a mechanism or force.
酵素の働きによって、食べ物の糖が分解される。
Sugars in food are broken down by the action of enzymes.
このボタンの働きは、電源を切ることだ。
The function of this button is to turn off the power.
彼の言葉には、人の心を動かす不思議な働きがある。
His words have a mysterious power to move people's hearts.
5In linguistics, how a word conjugates or inflects; a technical usage found in grammatical contexts.
言語学の授業では、動詞の働きや活用の仕方を詳しく学ぶ。
In linguistics class, we study in detail how verbs function and conjugate.