arbeiten
German, verb
arbeiten is spelled A-R-B-E-I-T-E-N (8 letters) and appears 251 times per million words in written German, the 352nd most frequent German word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). Arbeiten is a German verb meaning “to work (to do a specific task by employing physical or mental powers)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). With a capital, Arbeiten is a different word: “gerund of arbeiten”. The German Wiktionary defines it as “geistig oder körperlich tätig sein, zielstrebig handeln, um so ein Ergebnis zu erzielen”.
What does arbeiten mean in English?
verb
- 1
to work (to do a specific task by employing physical or mental powers)
Wir arbeiten an der Wiederherstellung des Service.
- 2
to work, function, run, operate (to be operative, in action)
einwandfrei arbeiten.
- 3
to ferment (to react, using fermentation)
- 4
to work, execute (to set into action)
- 5
to make, produce (to create)
Die Kommode ist aus Eichenholz gearbeitet.
- 6
to do, perform (to carry out or execute, especially something involving work)
Was arbeitest du?
- 7
to work oneself (to) (to make oneself (a certain state) by working)
sich zu Tode arbeiten
- 8
to work one's way (to attain through work, by gradual degrees)
noun
- 1
neutergerund of arbeiten
noun
- 1
plural of Arbeit
Source: English Wiktionary, German section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
How German dictionaries define it
verb: 1. geistig oder körperlich tätig sein, zielstrebig handeln, um so ein Ergebnis zu erzielen 2. in Betrieb sein, zum Beispiel einer Maschine oder Anlage 3. gedanklich beschäftigen, ein innerer mit Gefühlen verbundender Prozess 4. Holz oder anderes Material: sich im Wechsel von Temperatur und Feuchtigkeit verformen
The definition in the German Wiktionary, in German.
Source: German Wiktionary, dump of September 1, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org.
Forms of arbeiten
- arbeitet present singular third-person
- arbeitete past
- gearbeitet participle past
- haben auxiliary
- arbeitend participle present
- arbeite first-person indicative present
- arbeitest indicative present second-person
- arbeiteten first-person indicative plural
- arbeitetest indicative preterite second-person
- arbeitetet indicative plural preterite
- arbeit imperative second-person singular
- habe gearbeitet first-person indicative multiword-construction
- haben gearbeitet first-person indicative multiword-construction
- arbeite! imperative singular
- arbeitet! imperative plural
- gearbeitet haben active infinitive perfect
- zu arbeiten active extended infinitive
- gearbeitet zu haben active extended infinitive
Source: English Wiktionary and German Wiktionary (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026).
English words that translate to arbeiten
Source: the translation tables of the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026.
How common is arbeiten in German?
arbeiten appears 251 times per million words in written German.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).