仕事

The word "shigoto" covers a broad spectrum of meanings, ranging from one's lifelong career or profession to a specific, immediate task. It is the most general term for "work" in Japanese.

When referring to a profession, it describes the role a person holds in society (e.g., "My job is a teacher"). When referring to a task, it describes the actual labor or duty being performed (e.g., "I have a lot of work to do today").

It is important to distinguish "shigoto" from more technical terms like "gyōmu" (業務) and "sagyō" (作業). "Gyōmu" is typically used in formal business contexts to refer to official duties or operational processes of a company. "Sagyō" refers to the physical or mechanical act of working on a specific part of a project, often implying manual labor or a repetitive process.

In a domestic context, "shigoto" can sometimes be used to refer to household chores, though "kaji" (家事) is the specific term. However, saying "shigoto ga ooi" (I have a lot of work) while cleaning the house is natural, as it emphasizes the burden of the task regardless of whether it is paid employment.