The Meaning of youji [用事] In Japanese

用事
ようじ
Romaji: youji N5

What does 用事 mean?

Translation and Meaning

errand, business, matter to attend to

Definition

用事 means a matter or task you need to handle; a personal errand or obligation that takes you away from other activities.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

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.

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.

Composition

  • 用: use, purpose
  • 事: thing, matter
  • Together: a matter to attend to, i.e., an errand or personal business

Usage

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.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: remember 用事 as you + ji—use your time to attend to a personal matter; visualize leaving the house with a to-do list to handle your errands.

Variations

  • 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)

Example Phrases

  • 今日は用事があって、駅前で友人と待ち合わせを諦めた。
    Kyou wa youji ga atte, ekimae de yuujin to machiawase o akirameta.
    I had something to do today, so I couldn’t meet a friend at the station.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (kyou wa) – today
    • 用事があって (youji ga atte) – having something to do
    • 駅前で (ekimae de) – at the station
    • 友人と (yuujin to) – with a friend
    • 待ち合わせを (machiawase o) – meeting
    • 諦めた (akirameta) – gave up
    Aqui, 「用事」 significa ‘assuntos/pendências’ e a expressão 「用事があって」 usa a forma て para indicar razão.
用事