Funcionar vs. trabajar
In Spanish, both funcionar and trabajar can translate to the English verb to work, but they are not interchangeable. The core difference lies in who or what is performing the action: trabajar is for people doing a job, while funcionar is for machines or systems operating correctly.
Funcionar
A2This verb means to work in the sense of to function or to operate. It is used for machines, electronics, systems, plans, ideas, or even body parts when describing their correct operation.
El aire acondicionado dejó de funcionar.
(The air conditioning stopped working.)
Mi plan funcionó a la perfección.
(My plan worked perfectly.)
El nuevo software funciona muy rápido.
(The new software works very fast.)
¿Sabes cómo funciona esta cafetera?
(Do you know how this coffee maker works?)
Nuestra relación ya no funciona.
(Our relationship doesn't work anymore.)
La medicina funcionó y ahora me siento mejor.
(The medicine worked and now I feel better.)
Trabajar
A1This verb means to work in the sense of to labor, to be employed, or to exert effort. It is used when referring to people (or sometimes animals) who have a job, perform a task, or are making an effort towards a goal.
Mi padre trabaja en un banco.
(My father works in a bank.)
Tengo que trabajar mucho para pagar mis cuentas.
(I have to work a lot to pay my bills.)
Estamos trabajando en un proyecto importante.
(We are working on an important project.)
¿Te gusta trabajar en equipo?
(Do you like to work in a team?)
El artista trabaja la madera con gran habilidad.
(The artist works the wood with great skill.)
Yo trabajo como diseñador gráfico.
(I work as a graphic designer.)
Summary
In summary, the distinction is simple: people trabajar at a job or on a task. Machines, plans, and systems funcionar when they operate as intended. A simple trick is to think of trabajar as to labor and funcionar as to function.