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用事 (ようじ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

用よう事じ

よ

う

じ

Common word›JLPTN5›Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

business; errand; things to do

Refers to a specific task or obligation one needs to attend to, often outside the home. Commonly used in phrases like 用事がある (I have something to do) or 用事で出かける (go out on an errand).

今日きょうはちょっと用よう事じがあって、早

はや

く

帰かえ

り

ます

。

I have a few things to do today, so I'll go home early.

母ははに頼たのまれた用よう事じで郵ゆう便びん局きょくへ行いった。

I went to the post office on an errand my mother asked me to do.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉に用よう事じがあるto have something to attend to / to need to see someone
彼かれにちょっと用よう事じがあるので、先さきに失しつ礼れいします。
I have a little something to take care of with him, so I'll excuse myself first.
用よう事じで〈場ば所しょ〉へ行いくto go somewhere on an errand
用よう事じで銀ぎん行こうへ行いってきます。
I'm going to the bank to take care of something.
用よう事じを済すませるto finish up an errand/task
午ご前ぜん中ちゅうに用よう事じを済すませておいた。
I got my errands done in the morning.
急きゅうな用よう事じa sudden, urgent errand or matter
急きゅうな用よう事じができて、パーティーに行いけなくなった。
Something urgent came up, so I couldn't go to the party.
〈人ひと〉に用よう事じを頼たのむto ask someone to run an errand
母はははに用よう事じを頼たのまれて、買かい物ものに行いった。
My mother asked me to run an errand, so I went shopping.

Kanji

用utilize, business, service
事matter, thing, fact

Related words· 9

用よう件けんN1
用件 is the formal term for the specific matter or business to discuss (often on the phone or in meetings), while 用事 is the everyday word for a personal errand or task.
仕し事ごとN5
仕事 refers to work or one's job in a broad sense, while 用事 is a specific task or errand, often personal rather than professional.
用ようN4
用 is a more general and often bound form meaning 'business' or 'use', while 用事 specifically refers to a concrete errand or matter to attend to.
雑ざつ用よう
雑用 refers to small, miscellaneous chores or odd jobs, while 用事 can be any single task, big or small, that one needs to take care of.

Show 5 more

急きゅう用ようN2
用事 is the general word for something you need to do or an errand, while 急用 specifically means an urgent, pressing matter.
用よう足たしN1
用事 is the everyday word for something one needs to do, while 用足し specifically emphasizes going out to take care of such tasks.
お使つかいN1
用事 is a general term for something one has to do or attend to, whereas お使い specifically means running an errand (often shopping) on someone else's behalf.

Politeness

御ご用よう
用事 is the neutral, everyday word for an errand or thing to do, while 御用 is the honorific term used when politely asking about or referring to someone's business.

Don't confuse with

幼よう児じN3
幼児 (young child) is an exact homophone of 用事 (errand) but means something completely different.
楊よう枝じ
楊枝 (toothpick) is another exact homophone of 用事 (errand), distinguished only by context and kanji.

Word family

緊きん急きゅう用よう事じ
emergency tasks; urgent business

Etymology

Compound of 用 (business, use) and 事 (matter, thing). The combination straightforwardly means 'a matter of business' or 'something to do'.

用事 refers broadly to a task or business one has to attend to, while 使い specifically means going somewhere to run an errand for someone else.

要よう件けん

用事 is a casual word for a personal errand or task one has to do, while 要件 sounds more formal and is used for business matters requiring attention.