Everyday work life
Use Arbeit for work as an activity, workload, place you go during the day, or general employment situation.
Nach der Arbeit bin ich oft muede.
dieA1DE-EN
noun
Arbeit
Translation
work; job; employment
Arbeit is work as an activity, task, effort, or place of employment. It can mean your work in general, not only your paid job.
Teacher note
English work is broad, and Arbeit is broad too. But for a specific position, Job or Stelle may sound more natural than Arbeit.
Usage scenarios
Tasks and effort
Arbeit can also mean a piece of work or effort needed to complete something. It is not limited to paid employment.
Diese Uebersetzung ist viel Arbeit.
Choose the right translation
work
The default translation for activity, tasks, effort, and work life.
job
Possible when Arbeit means paid employment, but Stelle is often better for a specific position.
employment
Useful in formal contexts about having or seeking work.
Usage guide
Arbeit is broad like English work, but it does not solve every job sentence. It can mean activity, effort, workplace, school paper, or employment depending on context.
For a specific job opening, Stelle or Job is often better. Ich suche Arbeit means I am looking for work in general; Ich suche eine Stelle means I am looking for a position.
Arbeit forms many everyday chunks: zur Arbeit gehen, bei der Arbeit sein, nach der Arbeit, viel Arbeit haben. These chunks are more useful than a synonym list.
How to study this entry
Map Arbeit across one day. Write one sentence before work, one at work, one after work, and one about too much work. Use vor der Arbeit, bei der Arbeit, nach der Arbeit, and viel Arbeit haben so the noun becomes part of time and routine.
Create a translation trap list with work. Include I work in Berlin, my phone does not work, I am looking for work, and this is hard work. The German answers should not all use Arbeit in the same way, and one should use funktionieren.
For speaking practice, record a 30-second answer about your week using Arbeit only twice. Add Stelle, Aufgabe, or Job if you need more precision. Limiting repetition forces better word choice.
To build range, turn one sentence into three registers: casual with Job, neutral with Arbeit, and more specific with Stelle or Aufgabe. Comparing the versions teaches nuance better than a list of English synonyms.
Word forms and word building
Die Arbeit is feminine. The plural Arbeiten can mean works, papers, tasks, or jobs depending on context.
Arbeiten is also the verb to work: ich arbeite, du arbeitest. The noun and verb look close, so sentence position helps you identify them.
Arbeitgeber and Arbeitnehmer are key compounds: the employer gives work, and the employee takes work in the legal sense.
Meaning boundaries
Arbeit vs Job
Job is a specific job or casual borrowed word. Arbeit is broader and more neutral.
Arbeit vs Stelle
Stelle is a position or vacancy. Arbeit can be work in general.
Arbeit vs Aufgabe
Aufgabe is a task or assignment. Arbeit can include many tasks or the effort as a whole.
Register
Arbeit is standard everyday German and works in casual, school, and professional contexts.
Memory guide
Store Arbeit through time phrases: vor der Arbeit, bei der Arbeit, nach der Arbeit. These phrases are immediately usable.
Separate work as employment from work as function. For my phone does not work, German usually says Mein Handy funktioniert nicht.
When translating job, pause. If you mean a position, use Stelle or Job. If you mean work in general, Arbeit is likely right.
Patterns that sound natural
zur Arbeit gehen
to go to work
Ich gehe um acht zur Arbeit.
I go to work at eight.
bei der Arbeit
at work
Sie ist gerade bei der Arbeit.
She is at work right now.
viel Arbeit haben
to have a lot of work
Diese Woche habe ich viel Arbeit.
I have a lot of work this week.
Common learner trap
Using Arbeit for a job opening.
For an open position, use Stelle or Job: Ich suche eine Stelle.
Try it yourself
Translate: I am at work. Use the common German phrase.
Ich bin bei der Arbeit.
Examples
Nach der Arbeit gehe ich einkaufen.
After work, I go shopping.
Diese Arbeit braucht Zeit.
This work takes time.
Er sucht Arbeit in München.
He is looking for work in Munich.