työtä

Työ is a Finnish noun meaning work, labor, or a job. In its base form it denotes the activity of producing something, performing a task, or paid employment. The form työ is declined in several cases, for example: nominative työ, genitive työn, partitive työtä; in plural forms the nominative is työt and the partitive is töitä, with genitive plural töiden.

The word covers multiple senses. It can refer to general labor or activity, a specific task, or a paid position. In everyday language it appears in expressions such as “minulla on paljon työtä” (I have a lot of work) or “ilman työtä” (without work). It also appears in compounds that describe work life and workplaces, such as työelämä (working life), työpaikka (workplace), työaika (working time), and työmarkkinat (labor market). The plural form töitä is commonly used when speaking about multiple tasks or hours of labor, as in “teen töitä” (I work, I do work).

Etymologically, työ is a native Finnic word with cognates in related Finnic languages, such as Estonian töö. It is a core term in Finnish vocabulary and a foundation for many compound terms related to employment and labor.

Related terms include työttömyys (unemployment), työntekijä (employee), työnantaja (employer), and other derivatives built from the same root. The word is central to discussions of economy, employment policy, and social life in Finland.