Meaning

Primary

To Be Employed At

Alternative

To Work For

Word Type

transitive verb, ichidan verb

Explanation

The kanji is work which means this verb has something to do with working. It's not straight up "to work," instead it's "to work for" or "to be employed at."

Reading

つとめる
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

The reading is the same as the other word that means "to work for" (務める). Remember this and you'll be able to remember the reading for this word too.

Context

Context Sentences

娘が小学校に上がったので、私は図書館に勤め始めました。

I started working at a library ever since my daughter got into primary school.

Kanji Composition