Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| trabajo | /tɾaˈbaxo/ | masculine |
| empleo | /emˈpleo/ | masculine |
| brete | /ˈbɾete/ | Costa Rica, colloquial, masculine |
| camello | /kaˈmeʝo/ | Colombia, Ecuador, masculine |
| chamba | /ˈt͡ʃamba/ /ˈʃamba/ (Chile, alternative) |
Mexico, Peru, feminine |
| curro | /ˈkuro/ | Spain, masculine |
| laburo | /laˈbuɾo/ | Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, masculine |
| pega | /ˈpeɡa/ | Chile, feminine |
| talacha | /taˈlat͡ʃa/ | Mexico, feminine |
| cheje | /t͡ʃexe/ (from spelling rules) | Central America, masculine |
| jale | /ˈxale/ | Mexico, masculine |
| yob | /ʝob/ (from spelling rules) | US, masculine |
The term refers to an economic role for which a person is paid. While trabajo can refer to both a specific job and the general act of work, empleo is used specifically to denote formal employment or a professional position.
Which one should you use?
trabajo is a general term for both job and work, whereas empleo is more specific to a formal position or employment.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
trabajo and empleo are standard terms. Many other forms are informal or colloquial, such as chamba, curro, camello and laburo.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Various regions use different colloquial terms for job: brete is used in Costa Rica. camello is used in Colombia and Ecuador. chamba and talacha are used in Mexico, with chamba also being common in Peru. curro is used in Spain. laburo is used in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. pega is used in Chile. cheje is used in Central America. jale is used in Mexico. And yob is used in the US.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Note the gender of these nouns: trabajo and empleo are masculine. The slang term chamba is feminine and requires feminine articles like la, while curro is masculine and requires masculine articles like el. pega and talacha are also feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
/tɾaˈbaxo/
Did you know?
- The word trabajo is an unexpected relative of the English word 'triple', as they both trace back to the same Proto-Indo-European root for 'three'.
- The word laburo, used in the Southern Cone, is a linguistic relative of trabajo that was influenced by Italian immigrant dialects in Argentina and Uruguay.
- In Colombia and Ecuador, the colloquial word for a job is camello, which is the same word used for the animal 'camel'.
Examples in context
- Yo sé mi trabajo.I know my job.This sentence uses trabajo to show ownership of a job.Tatoeba #4603191 by Francisco_M, translation #2376093 by CK
- Tom ama su empleo.Tom loves his job.This sentence uses empleo to describe someone's job.Tatoeba #1198299 by marcelostockle, translation #1164436 by CK
- Ese es tu trabajo.That's your job.This sentence uses trabajo to identify someone's job.Tatoeba #1898712 by marcelostockle, translation #1897832 by CK
- 1043 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are talking at a cafe about their careers.
- Daniel¿Cómo va tu trabajo, María?How is your job going, María?
- MaríaMuy bien, Daniel, estoy feliz.Very well, Daniel, I am happy.
- DanielQué bueno que te guste.It is good that you like it.
- MaríaSí, es un gran trabajo.Yes, it is a great job.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “job” translations and entries trabajo, empleo, brete, camello, chamba, curro, laburo, pega, talacha, cheje, jale, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries camello, empleo, trabajo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
