housework / term paper
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housework
All the tasks involved in caring for and maintaining a household, such as cleaning, doing laundry, cooking, and tidying up.
Am Wochenende steht immer die ganze Hausarbeit an.
On the weekend, all the housework is always waiting to be done.
The word is made up of 'Haus' (house) and 'Arbeit' (work). So it literally means 'work in or for the house.' This basic idea fits both household chores and an academic paper that you write at home.
Nach dem Umzug hatten wir noch sehr viel Arbeit im neuen Haus.
After the move, we still had a lot of work to do in the new house.
You can tell from the context whether it means household tasks or an academic paper. Verbs like 'putzen' (to clean), 'waschen' (to wash), or 'kochen' (to cook) point to housework in the household. Words like 'schreiben' (to write), 'abgeben' (to hand in), 'Seminar' (seminar), or 'Professor' (professor) refer to the academic paper.
Ich helfe meiner Mutter bei der Hausarbeit, vor allem beim Staubsaugen.
I help my mother with the housework, especially with vacuuming.
When referring to household tasks, 'Hausarbeit' (housework) is often used with the verbs 'machen' (to do), 'erledigen' (to take care of/complete), or 'anfallen' (to come up/need doing).
Wer macht heute die Hausarbeit?
Who is doing the housework today?
In a university context, a 'Hausarbeit' (term paper) is typically 'geschrieben' (written), 'verfasst' (composed), or 'abgegeben' (handed in). You also get a grade 'für' (for) or 'auf' (on) the term paper.
Bis wann müssen wir die Hausarbeit bei der Professorin abgeben?
By when do we have to hand in the term paper to the professor?
homework
'die Hausaufgabe' and 'die Hausarbeit' sound similar, and both can be something you do at home. But 'Hausaufgabe' usually means an assignment from school or university, for example doing math or reading a text. In everyday life, 'Hausarbeit' can mean cleaning, doing laundry, or cooking. At university, 'Hausarbeit' often means a longer written paper for a seminar. Learners easily confuse the words because both begin with 'Haus'. A practical tip: at school you do 'Hausaufgaben' (homework); in the household you do 'Hausarbeit' (housework); at university you write 'eine Hausarbeit' (a term paper).
Am Wochenende teilt die Familie die Hausarbeit auf, damit alle früher fertig sind.
On the weekend, the family divides up the housework so that everyone finishes earlier.
Vor der Reise muss Max noch seine Hausaufgaben für den Englischkurs machen.
Before the trip, Max still has to do his homework for the English course.