¿Para quién trabajas?
The English phrase 'who do you work for' is translated into Spanish as ¿Para quién trabajas?
This question is used to ask an individual which company or person employs them. If you wish to ask for a location or a specific company name instead of the employer, you would use ¿Dónde trabajas? (Where do you work?) or ¿En qué empresa trabajas? (What company do you work for?).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Para quién trabajas is composed of para (for), quién (whom) and trabajas (you work).
Which one should you use?
While ¿Para quién trabajas? specifically asks for the identity of the employer, ¿Dónde trabajas? is used to ask for the workplace location or the name of the company.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, you might hear ¿Para quién chambas? to mean the same thing. In Argentina, one might say ¿Para quién laburás?
How does it change in a sentence?
The form changes depending on who you are addressing. Use ¿Para quién trabaja usted? when speaking to a stranger, a superior or an elder to show respect. If you are asking a group of people, use the third-person plural form ¿Para quién trabajan?
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, talking about 'who' you work for is often linked to the concept of palanca, which means 'lever'. It refers to using personal connections or influence to get a job or a promotion.
- If you are in Argentina, you might hear ¿Para quién laburás? The word laburás comes from laburo, a popular slang term for work derived from Italian influence.
- While ¿Para quién trabajas? asks for the employer, using ¿Dónde trabajas? can be a socially safer way to start a conversation. In some contexts, asking specifically for the 'who' can sound like an interrogation or a search for a political connection.
Examples in context
- ¿Para quién trabajas?Who do you work for?This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase ¿Para quién trabajas?Tatoeba #1018659 by Shishir, translation #37979 by CK
- Buenos días, señor. ¿Para quién trabaja?Good morning, sir. Who do you work for?
- Disculpe, ¿podría decirme para quién trabaja?Excuse me, could you tell me who you work for?
- Oye, ¿podrías decirme para quién trabajas?Hey, could you tell me who you work for?
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are meeting at a networking event.
- DanielHola, soy Daniel. ¿Para quién trabajas?Hi, I'm Daniel. Who do you work for?
- LucíaHola, Daniel. Trabajo para una agencia de diseño.Hi, Daniel. I work for a design agency.
- DanielQué interesante. ¿Te gusta tu empleo?How interesting. Do you like your job?
- LucíaSí, me gusta mucho mi trabajo.Yes, I like my job a lot.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
