Title: MiniCore Japanese-EN / Booster: Cycling
Tags: MinicoreJapanese-EN booster-cycling sentence vocab dialog-line dialog recognition

MinicoreJapanese: Rentasaikuru wa arimasu ka.
Native: レンタサイクルはありますか。
English: Is there a bike rental (around here)?
Literal: bike-rental [topic] exists ?
Notes: rentasaikuru — the rental-bike service, and the exact word on the signs. Stations, hotels, and tourist offices either run one or know the nearest.

MinicoreJapanese: Ichi-jikan, ikura desu ka.
Native: 一時間、いくらですか。
English: How much for one hour?
Literal: one-hour, how-much is ?
Notes: Lesson 6's -jikan pricing the ride — rentals quote by the hour and by the day, and the day rate is almost always the bargain.

MinicoreJapanese: Dendou jitensha ga ii desu.
Native: 電動自転車がいいです。
English: I'll take the electric-assist bike.
Literal: electric bicycle [ga] good is
Notes: dendou jitensha — the electric-assist bike, Japan's everyday superpower. If the route has hills, spend the extra coins; the assist makes them flat.

MinicoreJapanese: Mamachari ga ii desu.
Native: ママチャリがいいです。
English: The regular (granny) bike is fine for me.
Literal: granny-bike [ga] good is
Notes: mamachari — literally "mom's bike": the upright, basket-first machine the whole country runs errands on. For a flat city day it's all you need, and saying the word earns a grin.

MinicoreJapanese: Herumetto mo, onegaishimasu.
Native: ヘルメットも、お願いします。
English: A helmet too, please.
Literal: helmet also, please
Notes: herumetto — helmet. Rentals lend them free; the behavior notes have the legal fine print. Take it.

MinicoreJapanese: Kago wa arimasu ka.
Native: かごはありますか。
English: Does it have a basket?
Literal: basket [topic] exists ?
Notes: kago — basket. A day of konbini stops and omiyage wants one; the mamachari always obliges.

MinicoreJapanese: Saddoru, onegaishimasu.
Native: サドル、お願いします。
English: The saddle, please. (hand at the height you want)
Literal: saddle, please
Notes: saddoru — saddle. Two words plus a hand at hip height and the shop adjusts it in ten seconds — Lesson 1's point-and-onegaishimasu, still undefeated.

MinicoreJapanese: Henkyaku wa nan-ji made desu ka.
Native: 返却は何時までですか。
English: Until what time is the return?
Literal: return [topic] what-hour until is ?
Notes: henkyaku — the return, the word on the rental slip. Ask it before you ride off; shops close earlier than trips end.

MinicoreJapanese: Saikuringu roodo wa doko desu ka.
Native: サイクリングロードはどこですか。
English: Where is the cycling road?
Literal: cycling-road [topic] where is ?
Notes: saikuringu roodo — the dedicated cycle path: riverbanks in the cities, the painted blue line on the Shimanami. Once you're on it, navigation is over.

MinicoreJapanese: Jitensha de ikimasu.
Native: 自転車で行きます。
English: I'm going by bicycle.
Literal: bicycle by go
Notes: jitensha — the bicycle itself, riding Lesson 6's means-de. Announce it when asking directions and the answer changes: people route cyclists differently, and better.

MinicoreJapanese: Saka wa arimasu ka.
Native: 坂はありますか。
English: Are there hills?
Literal: hill [topic] exists ?
Notes: saka — hill, slope. The answer to this question is what the dendou jitensha decision was waiting for — ask it before choosing the bike.

MinicoreJapanese: Chuurinjo wa doko desu ka.
Native: 駐輪場はどこですか。
English: Where is the bicycle parking?
Literal: bicycle-parking [topic] where is ?
Notes: chuurinjo — the bicycle parking lot, and the most financially important word in this pack: bikes locked to the wrong railing get impounded, and the depot is never nearby. A hundred yen at the chuurinjo is the good deal — see the behavior notes.

MinicoreJapanese: Taiya wa daijoubu desu ka.
Native: タイヤは大丈夫ですか。
English: Is the tire okay? (checking before riding off)
Literal: tire [topic] fine is ?
Notes: taiya — tire. The smart-renter check, asked at the counter with a squeeze of the rubber. Thirty seconds now beats the next sentence later.

MinicoreJapanese: Panku desu.
Native: パンクです。
English: It's a flat. / I have a flat tire.
Literal: puncture is
Notes: panku — a flat, from "puncture." One word plus the plainest frame you own reports the whole disaster — at the rental shop, a gas station, or any bike shop (Japan's fix flats cheaply and on the spot).

MinicoreJapanese: Bureeki ga dame desu.
Native: ブレーキがダメです。
English: The brakes are no good.
Literal: brake [ga] no-good is
Notes: bureeki — brakes, condemned with Lesson 1's dame. Said at the counter, it gets you a different bike, not an argument.

MinicoreJapanese: Kuuki, onegaishimasu.
Native: 空気、お願いします。
English: Air, please. (holding the pump or pointing at the tire)
Literal: air, please
Notes: kuuki — air. Bike shops and many konbini keep a pump by the door; two words borrow it.

MinicoreJapanese: Jitensha, ii desu ka.
Native: 自転車、いいですか。
English: Can the bike come? / Is the bike okay (on this)? (pointing at the ferry, bus, or path)
Literal: bicycle, good is ?
Notes: The cyclist's version of the rail-pass question: pointed at a ferry gangway, a bus door, a train gate, or a promising path, it asks "can the bike come?" Ferries almost always say yes (the Inland Sea runs on bikes); trains say yes only if it's bagged — so expect an honest chotto… at the ticket gate, and take the ferry.

MinicoreJapanese: jitensha
Native: 自転車
English: bicycle
Notes: *Jitensha de ikimasu.*

MinicoreJapanese: rentasaikuru
Native: レンタサイクル
English: bike rental
Notes: the word on the signs

MinicoreJapanese: dendou jitensha
Native: 電動自転車
English: electric-assist bike
Notes: makes hills flat

MinicoreJapanese: mamachari
Native: ママチャリ
English: "granny bike"
Notes: upright, basket, national vehicle

MinicoreJapanese: herumetto
Native: ヘルメット
English: helmet
Notes: free with the rental — take it

MinicoreJapanese: kago
Native: かご
English: basket
Notes: for the konbini stops

MinicoreJapanese: saddoru
Native: サドル
English: saddle
Notes: *Saddoru, onegaishimasu.* + gesture

MinicoreJapanese: taiya
Native: タイヤ
English: tire
Notes: check before riding off

MinicoreJapanese: bureeki
Native: ブレーキ
English: brakes
Notes: *Bureeki ga dame desu.*

MinicoreJapanese: panku
Native: パンク
English: flat tire
Notes: *Panku desu.* — the whole report

MinicoreJapanese: kuuki
Native: 空気
English: air
Notes: pumps at bike shops and konbini

MinicoreJapanese: chuurinjo
Native: 駐輪場
English: bicycle parking
Notes: the impound-avoidance word

MinicoreJapanese: saikuringu roodo
Native: サイクリングロード
English: cycling road
Notes: the Shimanami's blue line

MinicoreJapanese: saka
Native: 坂
English: hill / slope
Notes: ask before choosing the bike

MinicoreJapanese: henkyaku
Native: 返却
English: return (of a rental)
Notes: *Henkyaku wa nan-ji made desu ka.*

MinicoreJapanese: Jitensha wa oshite kudasai.
Native: 自転車は押してください。
English: walk your bike
Notes: dismount and push

MinicoreJapanese: Chuurin kinshi desu.
Native: 駐輪禁止です。
English: no bike parking here
Notes: find the chuurinjo

MinicoreJapanese: At the bike rental
Notes: Traveler: Sumimasen. Jitensha, onegaishimasu.
Excuse me — a bicycle, please.
[excuse-me. bicycle, please]
Staff: Hai. Dendou jitensha mo arimasu yo.
Sure. We have electric-assist bikes too.
[yes. electric bicycle also exists [yo]]
Traveler: Ja, dendou jitensha ga ii desu. Ikura desu ka.
Then I'll take the e-bike. How much is it?
[well-then, electric bicycle [ga] good is. how-much is ?]
Staff: Ichi-jikan, go-hyaku en desu.
500 yen an hour.
[one-hour, five-hundred yen is]
Traveler: Henkyaku wa nan-ji made desu ka.
Until what time is the return?
[return [topic] what-hour until is ?]
Staff: Go-ji made desu.
By 5:00.
[5:00 until is]
Traveler: Wakarimashita. Herumetto mo, onegaishimasu.
Understood. A helmet too, please.
[understood. helmet also, please]
Staff: Hai, douzo.
Here you are.
[yes, here-you-are]
Traveler: Arigatou gozaimasu.
Thank you.
[thank you (full polite form)]

MinicoreJapanese: Sumimasen. Jitensha, onegaishimasu.
Native: すみません。自転車、お願いします。
English: Excuse me — a bicycle, please.
Literal: excuse-me. bicycle, please

MinicoreJapanese: Hai. Dendou jitensha mo arimasu yo.
Native: はい。電動自転車もありますよ。
English: Sure. We have electric-assist bikes too.
Literal: yes. electric bicycle also exists [yo]

MinicoreJapanese: Ja, dendou jitensha ga ii desu. Ikura desu ka.
Native: じゃ、電動自転車がいいです。いくらですか。
English: Then I'll take the e-bike. How much is it?
Literal: well-then, electric bicycle [ga] good is. how-much is ?

MinicoreJapanese: Ichi-jikan, go-hyaku en desu.
Native: 一時間、五百円です。
English: 500 yen an hour.
Literal: one-hour, five-hundred yen is

MinicoreJapanese: Go-ji made desu.
Native: 五時までです。
English: By 5:00.
Literal: 5:00 until is

MinicoreJapanese: Wakarimashita. Herumetto mo, onegaishimasu.
Native: わかりました。ヘルメットも、お願いします。
English: Understood. A helmet too, please.
Literal: understood. helmet also, please

MinicoreJapanese: Signs for cyclists
Notes: Sign: Jitensha wa oshite kudasai.
Please walk your bicycle. → shopping arcades and crowded zones; dismount and push
[bicycle [topic] push-please]
Sign: Chuurin kinshi desu.
No bicycle parking. → the railing that gets bikes impounded; find the chuurinjo
[bicycle-parking forbidden is]

MinicoreJapanese: The rental-terms question
Notes: Traveler: Sumimasen. Rentasaikuru wa arimasu ka.
Excuse me — do you have rental bikes?
[excuse-me. bike-rental [topic] exists ?]
Staff: Go-riyou ni wa mibunshoumeisho to hoshoukin sen-en ga hitsuyou de, henkyaku wa gogo go-ji made ni onegai shite orimasu.
You'll need photo ID and a 1,000-yen deposit, and we ask that returns be in by 5 p.m.
[(too fast — that's the point)]
Traveler: Sumimasen. Yukkuri onegaishimasu.
Sorry — slowly, please.
[excuse-me. slowly, please]
Staff: Pasupooto, onegaishimasu. Sen-en desu.
Your passport, please. And 1,000 yen.
[passport, please. one-thousand yen is]

MinicoreJapanese: Sumimasen. Rentasaikuru wa arimasu ka.
Native: すみません。レンタサイクルはありますか。
English: Excuse me — do you have rental bikes?
Literal: excuse-me. bike-rental [topic] exists ?

MinicoreJapanese: Go-riyou ni wa mibunshoumeisho to hoshoukin sen-en ga hitsuyou de, henkyaku wa gogo go-ji made ni onegai shite orimasu.
Native: ご利用には身分証明書と保証金千円が必要で、返却は午後五時までにお願いしております。
English: You'll need photo ID and a 1,000-yen deposit, and we ask that returns be in by 5 p.m.
Literal: (too fast — that's the point)

MinicoreJapanese: Pasupooto, onegaishimasu. Sen-en desu.
Native: パスポート、お願いします。千円です。
English: Your passport, please. And 1,000 yen.
Literal: passport, please. one-thousand yen is