de vuelta al trabajo
/de bwelta al tɾabaxo/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "back to work" is expressed as de vuelta al trabajo.
This phrase is used to indicate that a person is returning to their professional duties after a break. Another common way to express this concept is Volver al trabajo.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of de vuelta (back/return) and al trabajo (to the work).
Which one should you use?
While de vuelta al trabajo is a standard way to say the phrase, de regreso al trabajo serves as a common synonym.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Regional colloquialisms vary significantly. In Mexico and other Latin American countries, you might hear Volver a la chamba. In Argentina, the informal expression Volver al laburo is used. In Spain, you can use the colloquial expressions Volver al tajo or Volver al curro.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the contraction al, which combines the preposition a (to) and the masculine article el (the).
Did you know?
- While trabajo is the standard term, the Mexican slang word chamba is believed by some historians to derive from the English word 'chamber', referring to the rooms where workers were hired.
- In Argentina, the word laburo used in Volver al laburo comes from the Italian word lavoro. This reflects the heavy influence of Italian immigration on the region's dialect.
- In Spain, the colloquial phrase Volver al tajo refers to returning to work, with tajo originally meaning a cut or a breach in the earth.
Examples in context
- Volvemos al trabajo mañanaWe go back to work tomorrow
- Después de las vacaciones, retomaremos las labores habitualesAfter the vacation, we will resume our usual work duties
- Ella reingresará al trabajo después de su permiso de maternidadShe will reenter the workforce after her maternity leave
- ¡Ya es hora de volver a la chamba!It's time to go back to work!
- Después de las vacaciones, hay que ponerse las pilas y trabajar duroAfter the vacation, we need to get back to work and work hard
- Terminaron las vacaciones y volvimos a las andadasThe vacation ended, and we got back to our usual routine
- ¡Buena suerte en tu regreso al trabajo!Good luck on your return to work!
- Mañana estoy de vuelta al trabajo.I am back to work tomorrow.
- Después del café, de vuelta al trabajo.After coffee, back to work.
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are chatting in the office kitchen during a break.
- SofíaEl café estuvo delicioso, Daniel.The coffee was delicious, Daniel.
- DanielMe alegra que te gustara, Sofía.I'm glad you liked it, Sofía.
- SofíaBueno, es momento de estar de vuelta al trabajo.Well, it is time to be back to work.
- DanielTienes razón, vamos.You're right, let's go.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
