働く vs 勤める
JLPT N5 vocabulary · what is the difference?
働く is the activity of working — putting in labour — and marks the place with で: 会社で働く. 勤める is being employed by an organisation and marks it with に: 会社に勤める. Only 働く can describe work with no employer at all, such as housework or a one-day job.
When to use each
働く
はたらく
Focuses on the activity. The workplace takes で, because it is where the action happens. Use it with adverbs about effort or hours: よく働く, 朝から晩まで働く. It needs no employer, so it covers part-time jobs, farming and work at home.
父は銀行で働いています。
ちちはぎんこうではたらいています。
My father works at a bank.
今日は朝から晩まで働きました。
きょうはあさからばんまではたらきました。
I worked from morning until night today.
勤める
つとめる
States that you belong to an organisation as an employee, and that organisation takes に. Normally in the ～ている form, because it describes standing employment rather than today's labour. It is the word for saying which company you are with.
兄は自動車会社に勤めています。
あにはじどうしゃがいしゃにつとめています。
My older brother works for a car company.
その病院に十年勤めました。
そのびょういんにじゅうねんつとめました。
I worked at that hospital for ten years.
Sentences where only one works
今日は日曜日ですが、働きます。
きょうはにちようびですが、はたらきます。
It's Sunday, but I'm working.
Today's labour, not your employment status, so 働く. 勤めます cannot describe one day's work.
どちらの会社に勤めていますか。
どちらのかいしゃにつとめていますか。
Which company do you work for?
Asking who employs you, with に marking the organisation you belong to.
母は家でよく働きます。
はははいえでよくはたらきます。
My mother works hard at home.
No employer exists here, so only 働く is possible.
コンビニで働いています。
こんびにではたらいています。
I work at a convenience store.
Natural for a part-time job. コンビニに勤めている sounds oddly weighty, as if it were a career post.
Common mistakes
会社に働いています。
会社で働いています。
働く marks the workplace with で, because it is where the activity takes place. Borrowing 勤める's に is the commonest slip with this pair.
会社で勤めています。
会社に勤めています。
勤める points at the organisation you belong to, and that relationship is marked with に.
昨日は十時間勤めました。
昨日は十時間働きました。
Hours put in are labour, not employment. 勤める with a length of time means years of service, as in 十年勤めた.
Frequently asked questions
Which one should I use to introduce my job?
Either works. 銀行に勤めています is slightly more formal and stresses that the bank employs you; 銀行で働いています is the everyday version and is never wrong.
Can I use 勤める for a part-time job?
It is unusual. 勤める suggests a regular post with an organisation, so part-time and casual work is normally 働く or アルバイトをする.
Does 働く always mean paid work?
No. It can mean any exertion, including unpaid work such as ボランティアで働く. That breadth is exactly what 勤める lacks.