工作 in Context

This is just one of those that you'll need to see a bunch of times because there's not a clear principle for when one is used vs. the other. They've VERY similar. For example, 叫做 and 叫作 are exactly the same.

Luckily, though, they're pronounced the same way, so when speaking no one will be able to tell which one you mean ;-).

As for writing, if you see, say, 工作 a bunch of times and never see 工做, then if you write 工做 it will feel wrong. Not to mention, when typing in Pinyin, the predictive text will default to the more common combo.

Hey Micaela,

Here's a reply for you: https://www.loom.com/share/a001c55b86eb40c6ab09b2361a51466e

(BTW, I forgot to say, but saying 在玩儿 without 上 feels wrong in this context)

Also, after I recorded that video, I realized that we'd already made a couple of videos addressing this grammar point, here they are:

FAQ: 在...下/上/中 & How to make excellent progress without learning grammar points: https://www.loom.com/share/68aa45dad28049caa9fa64eea6da623c

FAQ: How to Use 在 + Location + 上/下/中/里, etc.: https://www.loom.com/share/5046e5a3538b46b2b7db8932353d5d4d

The same exact rule still applies (了 signifies change or completion), and if you understand the other words in the sentence you can perhaps tell that the 了 is saying that the time was SPENT on work. As long as you understand the message of the sentence then you will acquire the language, so no need to worry about the grammatical subtleties after the fact. This only adds unnecessary complexity and slows you down :D

好 = good
更好 = better
Adj. + 地 + verb = How the verb is done
好 + 地 + 工作 = work well
更好地工作 = work better

Here's our article on 地 as a reminder: https://www.mandarinblueprint.com/how-to-use-de-in-chinese/