使(つか)い

つかい
noun
errand; messenger; envoy
daily-life
1. errand; task of going somewhere on behalf of someone
The act of being sent to do something, especially delivering a message or purchasing something on someone's behalf.
お使(つか)いに行(い)ってきて。
Go run an errand for me.
子供(こども)がひとりでお使(つか)いに行(い)けるようになった。
The child became able to go on errands by themselves.
母(はは)に頼(たの)まれて、スーパーへお使(つか)いに行(い)った。
My mother asked me to go, so I ran an errand to the supermarket.
2. messenger; envoy; emissary
A person sent to deliver a message, carry out a task, or serve as a representative.
神(かみ)の使(つか)いとされる動物(どうぶつ)がいる。
There are animals considered to be divine messengers.
王(おう)は使(つか)いを送(おく)って和平(わへい)を申(もう)し入(い)れた。
The king sent an envoy to propose peace.
奈良(なら)では鹿(しか)が春日大社(かすがたいしゃ)の神(かみ)の使(つか)いとして大切(たいせつ)にされている。
In Nara, deer are treasured as divine messengers of Kasuga Grand Shrine.

The noun form of 使(つか)う (to use), but with specialized meanings. The most common everyday usage is お使(つか)い (with the polite prefix お), meaning an errand — especially a child being sent to buy something at a shop.

The TV show "はじめてのおつかい" (My First Errand) is a beloved long-running Japanese program that follows young children on their first solo shopping trips.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 用事(ようじ): errand, business to attend to — more general, can be any task or appointment
  • 使者(ししゃ): messenger, envoy — a more formal synonym for the "messenger" sense
  • 買(か)い物(もの): shopping — focuses on the purchasing aspect rather than being sent by someone

Related Words

Compare: 用事(ようじ) (errand, business to attend to)
Compare: 使者(ししゃ) (messenger, envoy)
Compare: 買(か)い物(もの) (shopping)
general
Added 2026.4.26 22:23 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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