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

MinicoreJapanese: Depachika wa doko desu ka.
Native: デパ地下はどこですか。
English: Where is the depachika (food hall)?
Literal: depachika [topic] where is ?
Notes: depachika — depaato (department store) + chika (basement), fused into one of Japan's favorite words. Ask anyone in the building; the answer is always "down."

MinicoreJapanese: Chika desu ka.
Native: 地下ですか。
English: Is it in the basement? (asking where the food is)
Literal: basement is ?
Notes: chika — basement, underground. The same word lives inside Lesson 6's chikatetsu (the underground railway) — your ear already knew half of it.

MinicoreJapanese: Wagashi no uriba wa doko desu ka.
Native: 和菓子の売り場はどこですか。
English: Where is the Japanese-sweets section?
Literal: Japanese-sweets of sales-floor [topic] where is ?
Notes: uriba — the sales floor or section, useful in every store in Japan — and wagashi — traditional sweets: seasonal, sculptural, and the depachika's crown jewels. Lesson 2's no glues them; swap any noun in front to find any counter.

MinicoreJapanese: Shishoku, ii desu ka.
Native: 試食、いいですか。
English: May I try a sample?
Literal: sample, good is ?
Notes: shishoku — the sample. Usually you won't even need to ask — trays with toothpicks appear in front of you — but at a counter with no tray out, Lesson 7's permission frame plus a hopeful look often produces one. Etiquette in the behavior notes.

MinicoreJapanese: Kono souzai wa nan desu ka.
Native: この惣菜は何ですか。
English: What is this dish? (pointing into the case)
Literal: this prepared-dish [topic] what is ?
Notes: souzai — prepared dishes, the deli side of the depachika: salads, simmered things, fried things, all gorgeous and unlabeled in any language you read. Lesson 2's harvester question, eating well since day two.

MinicoreJapanese: Bentou o hitotsu kudasai.
Native: 弁当をひとつください。
English: One bento, please.
Literal: bento [obj] one give-me
Notes: bentou — the boxed meal, finally a taught word (you've been carrying konbini ones up mountains since the [Outdoors booster](/boosters/booster-outdoors/)). Depachika bento are the species' luxury tier — and the star of the evening discount below.

MinicoreJapanese: Hanbun, ii desu ka.
Native: 半分、いいですか。
English: Can I get a half (portion)?
Literal: half, good is ?
Notes: hanbun — half. Whole salads and roasts often split on request — the permission frame turns a too-big beautiful thing into dinner for one.

MinicoreJapanese: Hangaku desu ka.
Native: 半額ですか。
English: Is this half price? (pointing at the sticker)
Literal: half-price is ?
Notes: hangaku — half price: hanbun's cousin, wearing a red sticker. From early evening the stickers bloom across the hall — the depachika's famous sundown economy (behavior notes). This question confirms what the sticker promises.

MinicoreJapanese: Kore o hyaku guramu, onegaishimasu.
Native: これを百グラム、お願いします。
English: 100 grams of this, please. (pointing into the case)
Literal: this [obj] hundred grams, please
Notes: guramu — the gram, and the depachika's native unit: every deli sign prices per 100g (百g). Point, say this, and the staff weigh, pack, and tuck an ice pack in beside it. Swap Lesson 3's numbers freely — nihyaku guramu doubles it. This one sentence is the whole sold-by-weight system; memorize it and the entire deli floor opens.

MinicoreJapanese: Noshi, onegaishimasu.
Native: のし、お願いします。
English: Noshi (formal gift paper), please.
Literal: noshi, please
Notes: noshi — the formal paper band that turns a purchase into a proper Japanese gift, printed for the occasion and inscribed at the counter. Sweets boxes with noshi are the standard offering for hosts, colleagues, and anyone who has helped you — see the behavior notes for how the counter handles the details you can't say.

MinicoreJapanese: Hako, onegaishimasu.
Native: 箱、お願いします。
English: A box, please.
Literal: box, please
Notes: The [Tax-Free booster](/boosters/booster-tax-free/)'s hako, back on duty — loose sweets become a gift box on request, and the wrapping that follows is free and flawless.

MinicoreJapanese: depachika
Native: デパ地下
English: department-store food hall
Notes: always "down"

MinicoreJapanese: chika
Native: 地下
English: basement / underground
Notes: the *chika* in *chikatetsu*

MinicoreJapanese: uriba
Native: 売り場
English: section / sales floor
Notes: *X no uriba wa doko desu ka.*

MinicoreJapanese: shishoku
Native: 試食
English: (food) sample
Notes: take one, thank, move along

MinicoreJapanese: souzai
Native: 惣菜
English: prepared dishes / deli food
Notes: the case of mysteries

MinicoreJapanese: bentou
Native: 弁当
English: boxed meal
Notes: the evening discount's star

MinicoreJapanese: wagashi
Native: 和菓子
English: Japanese sweets
Notes: seasonal, sculptural

MinicoreJapanese: guramu
Native: グラム
English: gram
Notes: signs price per 100g

MinicoreJapanese: hanbun
Native: 半分
English: half
Notes: *Hanbun, ii desu ka.*

MinicoreJapanese: hangaku
Native: 半額
English: half price
Notes: the red evening sticker

MinicoreJapanese: noshi
Native: のし
English: formal gift paper
Notes: *Noshi, onegaishimasu.*

MinicoreJapanese: hako
Native: 箱
English: box
Notes: *Hako wa arimasu ka.*

MinicoreJapanese: Shishoku, douzo.
Native: 試食、どうぞ。
English: have a sample
Notes: take one + *arigatou gozaimasu*

MinicoreJapanese: Dono kurai ni shimashou ka.
Native: どのくらいにしましょうか。
English: how much would you like?
Notes: a number + *guramu*, or *hitotsu*

MinicoreJapanese: In the food hall
Notes: Staff: Shishoku, douzo.
Have a sample! (the offered tray — see the script below)
[sample, go-ahead]
Traveler: Arigatou gozaimasu. Oishii desu ne!
Thank you. …It's delicious!
[thank you. delicious is [ne]]
Traveler: Kore o hyaku guramu, onegaishimasu.
100 grams of this, please.
[this [obj] hundred grams, please]
Staff: Hai!
Right away!
[yes!]
Traveler: Kono souzai wa nan desu ka.
(at the sweets counter, pointing) What is this dish?
[this prepared-dish [topic] what is ?]
Staff: Wagashi desu yo. Douzo.
That's wagashi — Japanese sweets. Try one!
[Japanese-sweets is [yo]. go-ahead]
Traveler: Kore o mittsu kudasai.
(converted) Three of these, please.
[this [obj] three give-me]
Traveler: Noshi, onegaishimasu.
Noshi, please. (it's becoming a gift)
[noshi, please]
Staff: Hai, douzo.
Here you are.
[yes, here-you-are]
Traveler: Arigatou gozaimasu.
Thank you.
[thank you (full polite form)]

MinicoreJapanese: Arigatou gozaimasu. Oishii desu ne!
Native: ありがとうございます。おいしいですね！
English: Thank you. …It's delicious!
Literal: thank you. delicious is [ne]

MinicoreJapanese: Hai!
Native: はい！
English: Right away!
Literal: yes!

MinicoreJapanese: Wagashi desu yo. Douzo.
Native: 和菓子ですよ。どうぞ。
English: That's wagashi — Japanese sweets. Try one!
Literal: Japanese-sweets is [yo]. go-ahead

MinicoreJapanese: Kore o mittsu kudasai.
Native: これをみっつください。
English: (converted) Three of these, please.
Literal: this [obj] three give-me

MinicoreJapanese: Food-hall scripts
Notes: Staff: Shishoku, douzo.
Have a sample! → take one, say thanks — no purchase implied
[sample, go-ahead]
Staff: Dono kurai ni shimashou ka.
How much would you like? → answer with weight or count: Hyaku guramu / Hitotsu, onegaishimasu.
[what-amount [ni] shall-we-make ?]

MinicoreJapanese: The price question
Notes: Traveler: Kore wa ikura desu ka.
Excuse me — how much is this? (Lesson 3's question, back at work)
[this [topic] how-much is ?]
Staff: Kochira wa hyaku guramu go-hyaku en de, honjitsu wa yuugata kara hangaku ni natte orimasu.
This one is 500 yen per 100 grams — and from this evening it goes half price.
[(too fast — that's the point)]
Traveler: Sumimasen. Kaite kudasai.
Sorry — please write it down.
[excuse-me. write-it, please]
Staff: Hyaku guramu, go-hyaku en desu.
(writing) 100 grams, 500 yen.
[hundred grams, five-hundred yen is]

MinicoreJapanese: Kochira wa hyaku guramu go-hyaku en de, honjitsu wa yuugata kara hangaku ni natte orimasu.
Native: こちらは百グラム五百円で、本日は夕方から半額になっております。
English: This one is 500 yen per 100 grams — and from this evening it goes half price.
Literal: (too fast — that's the point)

MinicoreJapanese: Hyaku guramu, go-hyaku en desu.
Native: 百グラム、五百円です。
English: (writing) 100 grams, 500 yen.
Literal: hundred grams, five-hundred yen is