labrar

to work

labrar(lah-brahr)

transitive verb

1. (to farm)

a. to work

Los colonos labraban la tierra y criaban ganado.

The settlers worked the land and raised cattle.

b. to cultivate

Los campesinos que labraban los campos se tuvieron que mudar a la ciudad.

The peasants that cultivated the fields had to move to the city.

c. to plow (with a plow)

(United States)

Los granjeros chinos se sirven de búfalos para labrar los campos de arroz.

Chinese farmers use water buffaloes to plow the rice fields.

d. to plough (with a plow)

(United Kingdom)

Jesús se subió al tractor y labró los campos de trigo.

Jesus jumped on the tractor and ploughed the wheat fields.

2. (to shape)

a. to work (metal)

El herrero labró el metal para fabricar puntas de flecha.

The smith worked the metal into arrowheads.

b. to carve (wood or marble)

Mi abuelo me hizo un juguete labrando un pedazo de madera.

My grandfather carved a piece of wood into a toy for me.

c. to cut (stone)

¿Qué herramientas usaban los griegos para labrar la piedra y hacer esculturas?

What tools did the Greeks use to cut stone into sculptures?

d. to tool (leather)

El talabartero labraba el cuero con cincel y martillo.

The saddler tooled the leather with a hammer and chisel.

3. (to create)

a. to carve out

Luciano labró su carrera interpretativa a base de mucho esfuerzo.

Luciano worked hard to carve out his acting career.

b. to bring about

Con tanta negligencia y falta de sentido común en los negocios, no haces más que labrar tu propia desgracia.

With such negligence and lack of common sense in business, you're just bringing about your own misfortune.

labrarse

pronominal verb

4. (to create for oneself)

a. to carve out for oneself

Mariana aceptó la oferta de trabajo y se labró un porvenir.

Mariana took up the job offer and carved out a future for herself.

b. to bring about

Se labró su propia ruina invirtiendo en fondos de alto riesgo.

He brought about his own ruin investing in hedge funds.