1. to do a job or activity to earn money
工作，上班
She works at a hospital.
她在醫院工作。
He works five days a week.
他每週工作五天。
I need to work to support my family.
我需要工作來養家。
Work Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
work
verb
快速理解
What does "Work" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Work"?
「work」主要指從事有目的的活動以產生結果，涵蓋職業勞動、機器運作、計畫有效等多種情境。
- 1
職業勞動
EN: to do a job or tasks for payment
翻譯: 從事有報酬的工作或任務。
- 2
機器運作
EN: to function or operate correctly
翻譯: 機器或系統正常運轉、發揮功能。
- 3
計畫有效
EN: to have the desired effect or outcome
翻譯: 方法、計畫或想法產生預期的效果。
- 4
處理材料
EN: to shape, form, or manipulate a material
翻譯: 對某種材料進行加工、塑造或處理。
小提醒：注意「work」作動詞時為不規則變化：過去式與過去分詞為「worked」，但在古用法或特定語境中（如金屬加工）也可能用「wrought」。現代英語普遍使用「worked」。
發音（How to Pronounce "Work" in English）
How to pronounce "Work" in English?"Work" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Work" from YouTube Videos
Steven Schwaitzberg: A universal translator for surgeons
TED
“In particular, nobody wants an operation with tools like these, through large incisions that cause a lot of pain, that cause a lot of time out of work or out of school, that leave a big scar.”
(1 out of 588)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Work"?How does "Work" change by context?
2. to spend time and effort doing something
做事，努力
The students worked hard on their project.
學生們在他們的專案上非常努力。
I'm working on fixing the computer.
我正在努力修理電腦。
She worked late into the night to finish the report.
她工作到深夜才完成報告。
3. to function or operate correctly
運作，正常運行
My phone isn't working properly.
我的手機運作不正常。
Does the remote control still work?
遙控器還能用嗎？
The plan worked perfectly.
這個計畫進行得非常順利。
4. to have the desired effect or result
有效，起作用
This medicine really works for my headache.
這種藥對我的頭痛真的很有效。
His persuasion didn't work on her.
他的勸說對她沒起作用。
A simple apology might work to solve the problem.
一個簡單的道歉或許能解決問題。
5. to shape, form, or process a material
加工，塑造
The artist works with clay to create sculptures.
這位藝術家用黏土創作雕塑。
He knows how to work metal into intricate designs.
他知道如何將金屬加工成複雜的設計。
She worked the dough until it was smooth.
她把麵糰揉到光滑為止。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Work"?How to make natural sentences with "Work"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| work + (adverb/preposition) | 工作（表示方式或地點） | She works efficiently. (她工作效率很高。) |
| work + as + (job title) | 擔任…職務 | He works as a software engineer. (他擔任軟體工程師。) |
| work + for + (company/organization) | 為…工作 | They work for a large corporation. (他們為一家大公司工作。) |
| work + on + (project/task) | 從事於… | We are working on a new design. (我們正在進行一項新設計。) |
| work + with + (person/tool/material) | 與…共事；使用…工作 | I enjoy working with my team. (我喜歡和我的團隊一起工作。) |
| work + to + (verb) | 努力去做… | She works to improve her skills every day. (她每天努力提升自己的技能。) |
| work + (object) | 操作，使運轉 | Can you work this machine? (你會操作這台機器嗎？) |
| work + (one's way) + (preposition/adverb) | 努力前進/完成 | He worked his way through college. (他半工半讀讀完大學。) |
| work + (adjective) | 變得…（通常指狀態變化） | The screw worked loose over time. (螺絲隨著時間變鬆了。) |
| work + (something) + out | 解決；計算出；制定出 | Let's work out a solution together. (我們一起想出一個解決方案吧。) |
用法說明
How is "Work" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Work"?
work doing vs work to do
- work doing 通常描述工作內容或職責的一部分，強調「工作內容是...」。
- work to do 則強調工作的目的或目標，意思是「為了...而工作」或「努力去達成...」。
- 在描述職業或日常職務時，work doing 更為常見。
- 當表達一個具體目標、抱負或需要特別努力的事情時，則會使用 work to do。 EN: She works designing websites for a tech company. 翻譯: 她的工作是為一家科技公司設計網站。
EN:He is working to finish the project before the deadline.
翻譯:他正努力在截止日期前完成這個專案。
EN:They work selling insurance policies.
翻譯:他們從事銷售保險單的工作。
EN:We must work to reduce our environmental impact.
翻譯:我們必須努力減少對環境的影響。
總結建議
一般情況下，描述職業內容用 work doing，表達目標或努力方向則用 work to do。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Work" and similar words?How to choose "Work" vs alternatives?
work vs do
「work」強調執行特定任務或職業活動，常與具體工作內容或職位相關；「do」則泛指執行或完成某個行動，範圍更廣。
work vs operate
「work」描述事物正常運作或發揮功能，較口語通用；「operate」則更正式，強調按照設計或程序運行，常用於機器、系統或手術。
work vs function
「work」側重於事物是否能正常使用或達成目的；「function」則強調事物是否按照其預定角色或設計目的運作，較為正式。
口語用法
How is "Work" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Work"?
引述
在轉述他人意見或描述一般情況時，常用來軟化語氣，表示「據說」、「有人說」或泛指「大家」。 EN: So I was talking to Sarah, and she was like, "The system just doesn't work." 翻譯: 我當時在跟莎拉聊天，她就說：「這系統根本行不通。」
EN:You know how it is, you put in all that effort and sometimes things just don't work out.
翻譯:你知道的，有時候付出了全部努力，事情就是不會成功。
語氣強調
在口語中，常透過重音、拉長音或與副詞搭配，來強調努力、運轉狀態或最終結果。 EN: I've been working on this project non-stop for weeks! 翻譯: 我為了這個專案已經不眠不休地忙了好幾個星期！
EN:This old laptop is barely working anymore.
翻譯:這台舊筆電幾乎快要不能用了。
停頓填充
在組織思緒或尋找合適字眼時，會用來填充對話空檔，常見於 "you know, it works..." 或 "the thing is... it works like..." 這類結構。 EN: The plan is... well, it should work, in theory. 翻譯: 這個計畫是…嗯，理論上應該可行啦。
EN:It's not the perfect solution, but it, you know, works for now.
翻譯:這不是最完美的解決辦法，但它，你知道的，目前還算管用。
正式書寫注意：在正式報告、學術論文或商業文件中，應避免使用上述過於口語化或模糊的引述、填充式表達。請改用更精確、客觀的陳述，例如將 "it kind of works" 改為 "it functions adequately" 或 "the mechanism operates with limited efficacy"。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Work"?What fixed phrases with "Work" should I remember?
work on
work on [something]
致力於、從事於（某項任務或項目）
work out
work out
（情況）進展順利；解決（問題）；鍛鍊身體
work with
work with [someone/something]
與...共事；使用...（工具、材料）
work for
work for [company/person]
為...工作（公司或人）
work hard
work hard
努力工作、用功
work together
work together
一起合作、協力
work under pressure
work under pressure
在壓力下工作
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Work"?Which "Work" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×He work in an office.
✓He works in an office.
當主詞是第三人稱單數（he, she, it, 或單數名詞）時，動詞 'work' 必須加上 's' 或 'es'。
×I found a new work last month.
✓I found a new job last month.
'Work' 作為不可數名詞時，泛指「工作」的活動或內容，不能與 'a' 或 'an' 連用。指具體的「職位」或「工作機會」時，應使用可數名詞 'job'。
×I work on the marketing department.
✓I work in the marketing department.
表示在某個部門、領域或行業工作時，使用 'work in'。'Work on' 通常表示「致力於某項任務、專案或問題」。
×I have many works to finish.
✓I have a lot of work to finish. / I have many tasks to finish.
當 'work' 作為「工作」或「勞動」的意思時，是不可數名詞，沒有複數形式。若要表達多項具體的「工作任務」，可以使用 'tasks' 或 'assignments'。
×My phone doesn't work properly. It doesn't work the camera.
✓My phone doesn't work properly. The camera doesn't work.
'Work' 作為不及物動詞，表示「運轉、運作」時，後面不直接接受詞。不能說「work something」。應使用「Something works」或「Something doesn't work」的結構。
×I work hardly every day.
✓I work hard every day.
'Hardly' 是副詞，意思是「幾乎不」，與「努力地」無關。表示「努力地工作」應使用副詞 'hard'。'Hardly work' 的意思是「幾乎不工作」。
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Work"?What are tense/participle forms of "Work"?
works(3rd_singular)working(present_participle)worked(past)worked(past_participle)