Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 労働者 | rōdōsha | [ɾo̞ːdo̞ːɕa̠] (narrow) |
| 勤労者 | kinrōsha | [kʲĩn̺ɾo̞ːɕa̠] (narrow) |
| 働く人 | hataraku hito |
In Japanese, the term for a worker varies depending on whether you are discussing economics, a person's character or a specific job role. 労働者 is used to refer to a laborer or an employee, often in a technical sense. 勤労者 is another term for a worker, while 働く人 is a more natural and versatile way to refer to a person who works in everyday spoken Japanese.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 労働者 is composed of 労働, meaning 'labor' and 者, meaning 'person'.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ primarily in their nuance and context. 労働者 acts as a formal, technical or legal term often used in the context of labor rights or economics. In contrast, 働く人 is a more natural, conversational way to describe a worker or someone who works, sounding less like a sociological category.
How do you pronounce it?
rōdōsha
Did you know?
- The word 労働 for 'labor' is a relatively modern creation. It was developed during the Meiji era to translate Western concepts of 'labor' into Japanese, replacing older terms that carried more negative connotations of drudgery.
- In Japanese corporate culture, people often identify as 社員 (company employee) rather than 労働者 (worker). Using 労働者 in a business setting can sound overly political or like you are discussing a labor union dispute.
- The term 勤労者 focuses less on the 'labor' itself and more on the 'diligence' or 'industry' of the person. It carries a heavy nuance of moral virtue, implying that working hard is a virtuous duty.
Examples in context
- 彼は本当によく働く人だ。He is a really good worker.This sentence is useful for describing someone using the form 働く人.Tatoeba #99875 by tommy__san, translation #303822 by CK
- はい、労働者が経済に果たす役割も重要ですね。Yes, the role that employees play in the economy is also crucial.
- うん、働き者だからね！Yeah, I'm a hard worker after all!
- その労働者は非常に勤勉だ。Sono rōdōsha wa hijō ni kinben da.That worker is very industrious.
- 政府は労働者の権利を守るべきだ。Seifu wa rōdōsha no kenri o mamoru beki da.The government should protect the rights of workers.
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are discussing a news article about labor laws.
- 結衣 Yuiこの記事は労働者の環境について書いてあるよ。kono kiji wa rōdōsha no kankyō ni tsuite kaite aru yo.This article is about the environment for workers.
- 健太 Kenta本当に、改善が必要だと思うな。hontō ni, kaizen ga hitsuyō da to omou na.I really think improvement is necessary.
- 結衣 Yui健太はどう思う？Kenta wa dō omou?What do you think, Kenta?
- 健太 Kentaもっと待遇を良くすべきだよ。motto taigū o yoku subeki da yo.The treatment should be made better.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “worker” translations and entries 労働者, 勤労者, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
