Manos a la obra, why obra?

Question

Let's get to work. but obra doesn't usually really mean work, like trabajo right, but more like "work of art" (obra de arte) or workmanship, or some kind of figurative work. Not real work. So why "let's get to work " as in real work, here with Manos a la obra? Gracias.

Answer 1

You're not quite right. A construction site, for example, is "Una obra de ingeniería".

Look at the RAE:

1. f. Edificio en construcción. En este lugar hay muchas obras.
2. f. Lugar donde se está construyendo algo, o arreglando el pavimento.
3. f. Compostura o innovación que se hace en un edificio. En casa de Pedro hay obra.
4. f. Trabajo que cuesta, o tiempo que requiere, la ejecución de algo. Esta pieza tiene mucha obra.
5. f. Labor que tiene que hacer un artesano.

So as you can see, "Obra" does indeed mean work.

Answer 2

"obrero"- worker, "obrando"-[actuando, comportándose], trabajando, "mano de obra"- labour, work force, "obras de caridad"- charity work

Answer 3

Obra is the result of labor or the act of working.

Answer 4

Bonus fact:

In the Incredibles' Spanish track, the English phrase "It's showtime" was translated as "a trabajar", but only in the actual spoken Spanish, not in the Spanish subtitles...it took me years to figure out the spoken Spanish there as looking up "showtime" was not revealing this strange set of sounds. One day, when I wasn't thinking about it at all, I heard or read the phrase "a trabajar" somewhere else and my brain said, "Ah ha! That's what Mr. Increíble was saying." I slipped in the DVD and there it was clear as a bell.

Answer 5

Normalmente he usado "obrar" cuando estoy hablando sobre milagros, pero que buena pregunta. A mi esto es muy informativo.