Word
用事
Meaning in Englisherrand, business, task
Animated kanji stroke order
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)