Tu laboras.

You work.

Breakdown of Tu laboras.

• tu: you
• laborare: to work

Questions & Answers about Tu laboras.

Why does Latin use tu if laboras already indicates a second-person subject?

Latin verbs typically include the subject in their endings, so laboras ("you work") already indicates it’s the second-person singular. However, using tu can add emphasis or clarity. Without tu, the sentence would still mean "You work," but with tu, it can feel more direct or emphatic.

Is tu laboras best translated as "You work," "You are working," or "You do work"?

All three translations are valid. Latin’s present tense can express simple present ("you work"), present progressive ("you are working"), or emphatic present ("you do work"). Context usually clarifies which nuance is intended.

Does English have an equivalent for the personal ending in laboras?

Not exactly. In English, "I work," "you work," and "we work" all have the same verb form, whereas Latin changes the verb ending depending on the subject. In laboras, the -as ending signals that the subject is "you" (singular).

Where does laboras come from?

It comes from the verb laborare, which means "to work," "to toil," or "to labor." Conjugating laborare in the present active indicative gives laboro (I work), laboras (you work), laborat (he/she/it works), and so on.