noun
one's work; one's duties; one's business
Polite noun for one's job, duties, or business, often used in formal or respectful contexts. The prefix お adds politeness.
今日はお勤めが早く終わりました。
I finished my work early today.
お勤め先はどちらですか。
Where do you work? (polite)
noun
sutra reading before a Buddha statue; Buddhist service
Refers to the act of reading scriptures or performing a service in front of a Buddhist image. Common in temple contexts.
朝のお勤めを済ませてから朝食をとる。
After finishing the morning sutra reading, I have breakfast.
noun
Used in commercial contexts to mean a good deal or discount. Often appears in phrases like お勤め品 (discounted item).
この店はいつもお勤め品が豊富だ。
This store always has a lot of discounted items.
noun
payment to a prostitute or geisha
Archaic term for money paid to a prostitute or geisha. Not used in modern Japanese.
江戸時代には、遊女へのお勤めとして金銭が支払われた。
In the Edo period, money was paid to courtesans as o-tsutome.