01
arbeiten
to work
To have paid employment in order to earn a living; to be employed.
example
Sie arbeitet als Ärztin in einem großen Krankenhaus.
She works as a doctor in a large hospital.
arbeiten
to work
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
The verb 'arbeiten' (to work) belongs to a large word family. Important related words are the noun 'die Arbeit' (work) and the adjective 'arbeitslos' (unemployed).
EXAMPLE
Er hat viel Arbeit in dieses Projekt investiert.
He invested a lot of work in this project.
Describing professions
To name a profession, you use the structure 'arbeiten als' (to work as) + job title in the nominative. This is a very common and useful construction.
EXAMPLE
Mein Bruder arbeitet als Programmierer in Berlin.
My brother works as a programmer in Berlin.
Naming the employer
To name the employer or company you work for, you use the preposition 'bei' followed by the dative.
EXAMPLE
Ich arbeite bei einer großen deutschen Firma.
I work for a large German company.
Fixed preposition
When you are working on a project, task, or problem, you use the fixed preposition 'an' with the dative: 'an etwas arbeiten' (to work on something).
EXAMPLE
Die Wissenschaftler arbeiten an einem neuen Medikament.
The scientists are working on a new medication.
Context clue: machines
When the subject of the sentence is a machine, device, or system, 'arbeiten' (to work) means something like 'funktionieren' (to function) or 'in Betrieb sein' (to be in operation).
EXAMPLE
Meine alte Kaffeemaschine arbeitet nicht mehr richtig.
My old coffee machine doesn't work properly anymore.
Context clue: processes
In connection with dough, wine, or wood, 'arbeiten' (to work) means that a material is changing through internal, natural processes.
EXAMPLE
Das Holz des neuen Tisches arbeitet und zieht sich bei Kälte zusammen.
The wood of the new table is working and contracts in the cold.
Compare with
arbeiten vs machen
to do / make
'machen' and 'arbeiten' both have to do with activity. 'machen' is very general and can refer to almost any action. 'arbeiten' is used when an activity involves effort, work, or a specific project. So you can say 'Hausaufgaben machen' (to do homework), but if you spend a long time concentrating on it, you can also say 'an den Hausaufgaben arbeiten' (to work on the homework). Learners confuse the words because both express activity. 'arbeiten' is more specific when it is about effort, a job, or spending a longer time on something.
arbeiten
Für die Prüfung arbeitet Lisa jeden Abend eine Stunde.
Lisa works for an hour every evening for the exam.
machen
Frau Kaya macht für ihre Klasse neue Übungen.
Ms. Kaya makes new exercises for her class.
In real life
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