How to Say ‘Can work?’ in Japanese
働けますか
hatarake masu ka
[hatarake masu ka]
💬 Usage Tip: Adding [か] turns a statement into a polite question: [働けます] → [働けますか]. The same works with many phrases, like [大丈夫ですか] and [いいですか].
Phrase Breakdown
働け
hatarake
[hatarake]
can work
Potential form of 'work,' used to ask or say whether someone is able to work.
来週は働けますかと聞かれました。
I was asked, 'Can you work next week?'
ます
masu
[masu]
polite verb ending
A formal ending used to make the sentence polite.
土曜日も働けますかと確認しました。
I confirmed, 'Can you also work on Saturday?'
か
ka
[ka]
question marker
A sentence-ending particle that turns a statement into a question.
働けますかと面接で聞かれました。
In the interview, I was asked, 'Can you work?'
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