Word
用事
Meaning in Englisherrand, business, task
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
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Word context
What it means
用事 means a matter or task you need to handle; a personal errand or obligation that takes you away from other activities.
Main meanings
- Primary sense: a matter to attend to, such as a personal errand or task that must be completed.
- Usage nuance: typically refers to everyday life tasks rather than formal work obligations.
- Common expressions: 用事がある to have something to do; 用事を済ませる to take care of errands.
How to use it
Used in casual and everyday speech to refer to personal errands or matters requiring action; in polite contexts you may contrast it with 用件 to denote a specific business item, and you often see phrases like 用事がある or 用事を済ませる to explain absence or pending tasks.
Variants and close terms
- 用件 (youken) — matter or business item; more neutral or formal
- 仕事 (shigoto) — work, task (broader sense)
- 予定 (yotei) — plan, schedule (related concept but not a direct substitute)
Composition
- 用: use, purpose
- 事: thing, matter
- Together: a matter to attend to, i.e., an errand or personal business
Etymology
用 = use, purpose; 事 = matter, affair; youji is a native Japanese kun'yomi compound that combines these concepts into the sense of a personal matter or task to be attended to, with no major phonetic shifts in modern usage.
Word class
Noun (名詞)
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N1
軍事
gunji
military affairs
N1
事項
jikou
matter(s), item(s), facts
N1
事前
jizen
prior, beforehand, in advance
N1
使用人
shiyounin
employee, servant
N1
専用
senyou
exclusive use, personal use
N1
代用
daiyou
substitution
N1
従事
juuji
engaging, pursuing, following
N1
無用
muyou
useless, needlessness, unnecessariness
N1
用件
youken
business
Kanji