A steel for surface hardening for machine structural use which is characterized by containing, in terms of mass%, 0.30-0.60% C, 0.02-2.0% Si, 0.35-1.5% Mn, 0.001-0.5% Al, 0.05-2.0% Cr, 0.001-1.0% Sn, 0.0001-0.021% S, 0.0030-0.0055% N, 0.01-2.0% Ni, 0.01-2.0% Cu, up to 0.030% P, and up to 0.005% O, with the remainder comprising Fe and incidental impurities, the contents of Sn, Cu, Ni, Mn, and S satisfying relationships (1) and (2). - 0.19 ‰¤ 0.12 × Sn + Cu - 0.1 × Ni ‰¤ 0.15 60 ‰¤ Mn / S ‰¤ 300