feina

Feina is a Catalan noun that means work, job, or task. It can refer to employment in general or to a specific assignment or effort. In everyday language, the term often emphasizes the practical task to be completed or the amount of labor involved, rather than the abstract concept of labor. Common expressions include tenir feina (to have a job or to be busy), fer la feina (to do the job), and fer bona feina (to do a good job). Feina can also indicate tasks that need to be done or a set of duties.

Origin and regional use: Feina originates in Old Catalan and is cognate with related Romance forms such as Spanish faena. The word is widely used across Catalan-speaking regions, including Catalonia, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, and Andorra, reflecting its role in everyday speech and formal contexts alike.

Usage and nuance: The noun trebal l is a broader term for work or labor, while feina often highlights specific tasks, chores, or assignments. Phrases such as buscar feina (to look for work) and tenir feina (to have work or to be busy) illustrate its versatility. The word also appears in idiomatic expressions and compound forms, and its plural, feines, can refer to multiple tasks or assignments. Feina thus functions as a common, neutral term for work-related concepts in Catalan.