Can "trabajar" be used when talking about studying?

Question

Can "trabajar" be used when talking about studying?

Studying is best considered as a job. :) - ian-hill, Jun 23, 2013

Answer 1

Hello

My Name is Natali Acosta and I'm from Colombia (Spanish native speaker) and, I can help you to answer you're question.

When you work at the office or some activity that make you for earn money. is used the verb "trabajar", but if you want to told to somebody that you are doing some intelectual skills, for example in the school, in university or some similar, the rigth verb is "estudiar".

I hope it help you.

Natali Juridica Orgullosamente Colombiana.

Answer 2

My vote is yes. Studying is mental work. I am working on my Spanish (assignment)

When I looked up the verb "trabajar" in the translate function above to see how this verb is used, I found the example "I am working away on latin". Estoy trabajando el latin"

Take my word for it, Spanish is a lot more fun than years of Latin ever was.

that's rigth - natali-juridica, Jun 23, 2013

Answer 3

I will add to what Natali stated:

There are/were some assignments that were called "work" like something you had to investigate etc. At least that's how we used it in Chile when i was growing up. Then the deluge came and the rest is history...

To us Chileans, to do your homework is "hacer la(s) tarea(s)"

EDIT (to clear some things up)

To study = estudiar so, when you are studying you are not doing your homework.

Homework = tarea

Sometimes in Chile you have to do a "work/essay" on a certain subject and that is the only time in which "homework" would mean work/project.

Estoy haciendo el/mi trabajo de historia = I am working on my history project/I am doing my history homework.

I am talking about how we said it while I was going to school in Chile.

Hi Chileno :) Do you Chileans also use "hacer los deberes" = to do your homework ? - FELIZ77, Jun 23, 2013

No, pero se entiende, y no faltará alguien que lo use.... :) - chileno, Jun 24, 2013

Answer 4

Lets look at it this way,"trabajar" means "to work",while "estudiar" means "to study". Since studying is hard work,trabajar could also mean estudiar,depending on the context.