Job vs. Work in Portuguese: Emprego, Trabalho, and Trabalhar — Practice

Use emprego for a job or position

Emprego usually refers to paid employment or a particular job. It is a masculine noun: o emprego. To say that you are looking for a job, use procurar emprego.

Use trabalho for work or a task

Trabalho can refer to work in general, an assignment, or—in context—the workplace. It is also the first-person present form of trabalhar, so sentence structure helps identify its role.

Use trabalhar for the action

Trabalhar is the verb ‘to work.’ Use it for a profession, location, or schedule; the preposition depends on what follows.

Remember: Choose emprego for a job position, trabalho for work or a task, and trabalhar for the verb.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. She got a new job.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Ela conseguiu um emprego novo.

2. I’m looking for a job in São Paulo.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Estou procurando emprego em São Paulo.

3. I have a lot of work this week.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Tenho muito trabalho esta semana.

4. I finished the college assignment.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Terminei o trabalho da faculdade.

5. I work at a school near home.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Trabalho em uma escola perto de casa.

6. He works as a designer.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Ele trabalha como designer.

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Choose emprego for a job position, trabalho for work or a task, and trabalhar for the verb.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Job vs. Work in Portuguese: Emprego, Trabalho, and Trabalhar lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.