How to say "to run an errand" in Spanish?

Question

I have another one! I put "to run an errand" through the translator on this site and came up with three very different answers.

• para hacer un mandado
• para correr un recado
• para funcionar con una diligencia

I usually have a strong inclination toward a particular answer, but this one has me stumped. If I had to choose, it would be the first one, but the second one is close. I don't like the third one at all, but that's not what langauge is about, haha. I'd love to hear opinions or location usage if anyone knows.

¡Gracias! Rachel

I live in the Dominican Republic for 2 years and am married to a dominican woman. They use hacer una diligencia all the time. The mexicans I work with use hacer un mandado. It just depends on the people and the region. - Hainero2001, Mar 18, 2013

Agree with Hainero2001 dominicans say diligencia but my Ecuadorean friend who knows no english says mandado - Nymel2008, Dec 15, 2013

Answer 1

Well my whole family is from the Dominican Republic and we say hacer una diligencia for errand

yes, sounds natural. - annierats, Dec 15, 2013

Answer 2

I'll add mine: "hacer un mandado/recado" is fine; the rest are all weird (or too formal and outdated, like the 3rd one) to me.

Answer 3

Hacer un mandado or Ir por un mandado.

For me un recado is a note or message, but I'm sure it is regional.

For me too (Spain). - lazarus1907, Oct 10, 2010

Answer 4

I would go for "hacer recado" or maybe "hacer mandado", however, wait for a native to chip in.

Answer 5

In SPAIN there are two expressions for the expression," run an errand(s):"

1. Hacer la compra;

2. Ir de compra(s).

Officially, The Real Aacademia Española say mandado comes from mandar and therefore means:

1. m. y f. Persona que ejecuta una comisión por encargo ajeno.
2. m. Orden, precepto, mandamiento.
3. m. Comisión que se da en paraje distinto de aquel en que ha de ser desempeñada.

However, the RAE recognize that in some Latin American countries "mandado" means as follows:

1. m. Cuba, Méx. y Nic. Compra de lo necesario para la comida.

Hope this clears things up.

No, errands can be thins like going to the bank, or thepost-office, nothing to do with compras. - annierats, Nov 13, 2015

True. - ian-hill, Nov 13, 2015

For generic errands not related to shopping, the expression in SPAIN is" "Hacer varios recados" - aebh, Nov 17, 2015

Answer 6

I checked Harper Collins, which gives many examples of use. Here is what I found:

• First, for "errand"

N recado m, mandado m

(esp LAm) to run errands = hacer recados

errand of mercy tentativa f de salvamento

• Second, under "run" as a transitive verb:

VT

1 (general) correr She ran 20km. = Corrió 20km.

• let things run their course (fig) = deja que las cosas sigan su curso

• to run errands = hacer recados

Answer 7

For me as Spanish speaker.. 1st. hacer un mandado (to do something that someone ask you to do, sometimes it involves the second option) 2nd. dar un recado (To tell something to somebody)

For me the 1st is always the best!

the 3rd very formal, I've never heard/used that..

Answer 8

The dictionaries at the site confirm your translations: From Velazquez:

errand [e-rand] sustantivo

1) Recado, mensaje, mandado (short mission).

To run an errand for somebody -> hacerle un mandado o un recado a alguien

From Chambers Harrap:

1) recado (m) mandado (m)

Am) to run errands for somebody -> hacerle los recados or mandados a alguien

But the phrasebook shows "tarea" for errand:

Don't send a boy on a mans errand. No asignes a un muchacho la tarea de un hombre

a fool's errand. Tarea de tontos

...even though "tarea" seems to me from its dictionary definition to pertain rather a task or work imposed by others - not necessarily what one thinks of in English as an "errand".

Checking the RAE for "mandado, I found:

mandado, da.

(Del part. de mandar).

1) m. y f. Persona que ejecuta una comisión por encargo ajeno.

2) m. Orden, precepto, mandamiento.

3) m. Comisión que se da en paraje distinto de aquel en que ha de ser desempeñada.

All in all, I like "comisión" best.

Hacer una comisión. (I doubt that a Spanish-speaking person would "run" a comisión)