1.
servant; hired help; domestic worker
A person employed to perform domestic or manual labor in a household. Often used in historical or literary contexts to refer to servants in wealthy households.
屋敷には使用人が何人もいた。
There were many servants in the mansion.
使用人が食事の準備をしている。
The servants are preparing the meal.
昔の貴族は大勢の使用人を雇って暮らしていた。
Nobles in the past lived with many servants in their employ.
2.
employee (legal term)
In legal contexts, a person employed by another, especially in relation to employer liability and labor law.
使用人の行為について雇い主が責任を負う。
The employer bears responsibility for the actions of the employee.
民法では使用人と使用者の関係が規定されている。
The Civil Code defines the relationship between employee and employer.
使用人が業務中に第三者に損害を与えた場合、使用者も賠償責任を問われる。
If an employee causes damage to a third party during work, the employer may also be held liable.
Primarily associated with household servants in historical or literary contexts. In modern everyday language, words like 従業員 or 社員 are more common for 'employee.'
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 使用人を雇う: to hire a servant
- 使用人部屋: servants' quarters
- 忠実な使用人: a faithful servant
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 召し使い: servant — more old-fashioned
- 従業員: employee — standard modern term for workers
- 家政婦: housekeeper — specifically domestic help in modern usage