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.
お使いに行ってきて。
Go run an errand for me.
子供がひとりでお使いに行けるようになった。
The child became able to go on errands by themselves.
母に頼まれて、スーパーへお使いに行った。
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.
神の使いとされる動物がいる。
There are animals considered to be divine messengers.
王は使いを送って和平を申し入れた。
The king sent an envoy to propose peace.
奈良では鹿が春日大社の神の使いとして大切にされている。
In Nara, deer are treasured as divine messengers of Kasuga Grand Shrine.
The noun form of 使う (to use), but with specialized meanings. The most common everyday usage is お使い (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:
- お使いに行く: to go on an errand
- お使いを頼む: to ask someone to run an errand
- 神の使い: divine messenger
- 使いを出す: to send a messenger
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 用事: errand, business to attend to — more general, can be any task or appointment
- 使者: messenger, envoy — a more formal synonym for the "messenger" sense
- 買い物: shopping — focuses on the purchasing aspect rather than being sent by someone