1.
official business, errand, order
Business or errands, especially those conducted on behalf of the government, the imperial household, or a person of high status. The 御 prefix adds formality and respect.
なにか御用ですか。
Is there something I can help you with?
この店は宮内庁御用達だ。
This shop holds a warrant from the Imperial Household Agency.
御用聞きが注文を取りに来た。
The delivery person came to take orders.
2.
arrest, capture
The apprehension of a criminal. Historically, the cry 「御用だ！」 was used by Edo-period constables when making an arrest, and it remains well known from period dramas.
御用だ！神妙にしろ！
You're under arrest! Don't resist!
Classic line from period dramas.
泥棒が御用になった。
The thief was arrested.
逃げ回っていた犯人が、ついに御用となった。
The criminal who had been on the run was finally arrested.
USAGE:
Sense 1 uses 御用 as a polite term for business or errands. The compound 御用達 means "purveyor to" (historically to the imperial household, now used more broadly for high-status endorsement). 御用聞き originally meant a servant who takes orders, but now can refer to a delivery person from a local shop.
Sense 2, 御用になる or 御用だ, is a classic expression meaning "to be arrested." Iconic from 時代劇 (period dramas).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 御用達: purveyor, patronized by
- 御用聞き: order-taker, delivery person
- 御用学者: government-aligned scholar (often pejorative)
- 御用になる: to be arrested