noun
errand; going on an errand
Polite noun for a small task or shopping trip done for someone else. Often used in the phrase お使いに行く or お使いを頼む.
See also: 使い
子供に近所のコンビニまでお使いを頼んだ。
I asked my child to run an errand to the nearby convenience store.
母のお使いで郵便局に行ってきた。
I went to the post office on an errand for my mother.
noun
messenger; errand runner
Polite term for a person sent on an errand; can sound slightly old-fashioned or hierarchical. In modern casual speech, 使いの人 or お使いの人 is more common.
社長のお使いで書類を届けに来ました。
I have come as the president's messenger to deliver the documents.
noun
familiar spirit; divine messenger
Honorific term for a spirit or supernatural being that serves a deity or higher power. Rare outside religious or mythological contexts.
神社の狐は神様のお使いとされている。
The fox at the shrine is considered a divine messenger.
The base noun without the honorific お. 使い is more direct and can also mean 'use' or 'usage', while お使い is specifically polite and limited to errand/messenger meanings.
Polite form of 使い (つかい, 'errand; messenger'), with the honorific prefix お. The kanji 遣 is sometimes used for the stem, but 使 is more common.