1.
errand; shopping trip (on someone's behalf)
Going out to buy something or deliver something on behalf of someone else. Commonly used when a parent sends a child to the store, or when someone runs errands for the household.
お使いに行ってきて。
Go run an errand for me.
子供が初めてのお使いに出かけた。
The child went out on their first errand.
母に頼まれて、スーパーにお使いに行った。
My mother asked me to go on an errand to the supermarket.
The お prefix is standard and nearly always used; the bare form 使い sounds blunt and is rarely heard.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- お使いに行く: to go on an errand
- お使いを頼む: to ask someone to run an errand
- お使いに出かける: to go out on an errand
CULTURAL NOTE:
'初めてのお使い' (My First Errand) is a popular Japanese TV show where small children are sent on errands alone for the first time, watched by hidden cameras. The concept reflects the cultural practice of gradually giving children independence through errands.
USAGE:
Most commonly associated with children being sent to buy something at a nearby store. For adult errands in a business context, 用事 (business, things to do) is more natural.