Title: MiniCore Japanese-EN / Booster: Everyday Meals — Teishoku, Famiresu & Fast Food
Tags: MinicoreJapanese-EN booster-everyday-meals sentence vocab dialog-line recognition dialog too-fast

MinicoreJapanese: Sakana no teishoku wa arimasu ka.
Native: さかなの定食はありますか。
English: Do you have a fish set meal?
Literal: fish [of] set-meal [topic] exists ?
Notes: teishoku — the set meal: one tray carrying a main dish, rice, miso soup, and pickles, at one price. It's Japan's default lunch, and ordering one word buys the whole balanced meal — swap sakana for any main you can name or point at.

MinicoreJapanese: Higawari wa nan desu ka.
Native: 日替わりは何ですか。
English: What's today's special?
Literal: daily-special [topic] what is ?
Notes: higawari — "changes daily": the daily special, chalked on a board by the door. It's usually the best value in the building — the kitchen made a lot of it this morning — and this question is how you order well without reading the board.

MinicoreJapanese: Higawari, onegaishimasu.
Native: 日替わり、お願いします。
English: The daily special, please.
Literal: daily-special, please
Notes: The full order in two words. If the answer to Higawari wa nan desu ka sailed past you, this sentence works anyway — the daily special is the safest blind order in the building. One exception: with an allergy or a dietary restriction, blind is exactly how you can't order — lead with the declarations in the [Dietary Restrictions booster](/boosters/booster-dietary/) and ask what's in the dish first.

MinicoreJapanese: Misoshiru mo onegaishimasu.
Native: みそしるもお願いします。
English: Miso soup too, please.
Literal: miso-soup also, please
Notes: misoshiru — miso soup, the teishoku's standard sidecar. It usually comes with the tray; this sentence adds it when you've ordered something that doesn't include it.

MinicoreJapanese: Okawari, onegaishimasu.
Native: おかわり、お願いします。
English: A refill, please.
Literal: refill, please
Notes: okawari — a refill or second helping of the same thing: rice, tea, cabbage. Hold the empty bowl slightly toward them as you say it — the gesture is half the sentence.

MinicoreJapanese: Gohan no okawari, ii desu ka.
Native: ご飯のおかわり、いいですか。
English: May I have a rice refill?
Literal: rice [of] refill, good is ?
Notes: Lesson 7's permission frame with Lesson 5's gohan: the polite version of the ask, for when nothing on the wall says refills are free.

MinicoreJapanese: Okawari wa jiyuu desu ka.
Native: おかわりは自由ですか。
English: Are refills free?
Literal: refill [topic] free is ?
Notes: jiyuu — free, in the "as you like" sense. It's the same jiyuu that opens jiyuuseki, the unreserved train seat in the Trains and Events boosters. On a restaurant wall, おかわり自由 (okawari jiyuu) means refills are unlimited and cost nothing — the sign that makes this question worth asking.

MinicoreJapanese: Famiresu wa arimasu ka.
Native: ファミレスはありますか。
English: Is there a family restaurant (around here)?
Literal: family-restaurant [topic] exists ?
Notes: famiresu — the family restaurant: Gusto, Saizeriya, Denny's. Huge picture menu, low prices, open late, nobody hurries you — the traveler's rainy-evening refuge. The name is "family restaurant" squeezed into four beats, the same abbreviation habit that made konbini.

MinicoreJapanese: Hanbaagu teishoku, onegaishimasu.
Native: ハンバーグ定食、お願いします。
English: The hamburg steak set meal, please.
Literal: hamburg-steak set-meal, please
Notes: hanbaagu — the famiresu's signature dish, and a famous menu trap: hanbaagu is a hamburg steak — the patty alone, no bun, knife and fork — while hanbaagaa with the long ending is the sandwich. One beat decides what lands on your table.

MinicoreJapanese: Mooningu wa arimasu ka.
Native: モーニングはありますか。
English: Do you have a morning set?
Literal: morning-set [topic] exists ?
Notes: mooningu — the morning set, one of Japan's best quiet deals: order a coffee before about 11 a.m. at a coffee shop (the Animal Cafés booster's kafe) and toast and a boiled egg arrive with it, often for the price of the coffee alone. Nagoya's kissaten are famous for stretching this into a free breakfast buffet.

MinicoreJapanese: Setto de, onegaishimasu.
Native: セットでお願いします。
English: As a set, please.
Literal: set by, please
Notes: setto — the combo: burger, fries, drink at one price. Japan orders sets by name, not number — Biggu Makku setto — and this answer rides the same de as Mochikaeri de, which you've owned since the konbini. The bare menu price is the item alone (the menu calls that 単品, tanpin); declining the set is just daijoubu desu.

MinicoreJapanese: Kore, setto de onegaishimasu.
Native: これ、セットでお願いします。
English: This one, as a set, please. (pointing at the menu)
Literal: this, set by, please
Notes: Point plus setto de — the complete fast-food order with zero menu vocabulary. The drink and size questions that follow are answered the same way: point at the board.

MinicoreJapanese: teishoku
Native: 定食
English: set meal
Notes: one tray: main, rice, soup, pickles

MinicoreJapanese: higawari
Native: 日替わり
English: daily special
Notes: Higawari, onegaishimasu.

MinicoreJapanese: okawari
Native: おかわり
English: refill / second helping
Notes: hold the bowl out as you ask

MinicoreJapanese: jiyuu
Native: 自由
English: free / as you like
Notes: おかわり自由 on the wall = free refills

MinicoreJapanese: misoshiru
Native: みそしる
English: miso soup
Notes: the teishoku's standard sidecar

MinicoreJapanese: mooningu
Native: モーニング
English: morning set
Notes: coffee price, breakfast included

MinicoreJapanese: famiresu
Native: ファミレス
English: family restaurant
Notes: Famiresu wa arimasu ka.

MinicoreJapanese: setto
Native: セット
English: set / combo
Notes: Setto de, onegaishimasu.

MinicoreJapanese: hanbaagu
Native: ハンバーグ
English: hamburg steak
Notes: no bun — hanbaagaa is the sandwich

MinicoreJapanese: nami
Native: なみ
English: regular serving
Notes: the 並 on buttons and menus

MinicoreJapanese: Setto ni nasaimasu ka.
Native: セットになさいますか。
English: Make it a set? → Setto de. — or just the item: daijoubu desu
Literal: set to do (honorific) ?
Notes: Setto de. — or decline
Recognition only — you'll hear this; you never need to say it.

MinicoreJapanese: Gohan no ryou wa ikaga nasaimasu ka.
Native: ご飯の量はいかがなさいますか。
English: How much rice would you like? → nami (regular) / oomori (large) — or point
Literal: rice [of] amount [topic] how-about do (honorific) ?
Notes: Nami de. / Oomori de. — or point
Recognition only — you'll hear this; you never need to say it.

MinicoreJapanese: Okawari wa jiyuu desu.
Native: おかわりは自由です。
English: Refills are free. → the magic sentence — the same words posted on walls as おかわり自由
Literal: refill [topic] free is
Notes: eat well
Recognition only — you'll hear this; you never need to say it.

MinicoreJapanese: San-ban de omachi no okyakusama, omatase itashimashita.
Native: 三番でお待ちのお客様、お待たせいたしました。
English: Number 3! Sorry for the wait. → the number printed on your receipt, called when your food is ready
Literal: 3-number at waiting [of] customer (honorific), made-you-wait (humble apology)
Notes: match it to your receipt, collect
Recognition only — you'll hear this; you never need to say it.

MinicoreJapanese: The teishoku lunch
Notes: Staff: Nan-mei sama desu ka.
How many? (Lesson 5's script — review)
[how-many-people (honorific) is ?]
Traveler: Hitori desu.
Just me. / Party of one.
[one-person is]
Staff: Kochira e douzo.
This way, please. (Lesson 5's script — review)
[this-way toward go-ahead]
Traveler: Higawari wa nan desu ka.
What's today's special?
[daily-special [topic] what is ?]
Staff: Kyou wa sakana desu.
Today it's fish.
[today [topic] fish is]
Traveler: Ja, higawari, onegaishimasu.
Then the special, please.
[well-then, daily-special, please]
Staff: Gohan no ryou wa ikaga nasaimasu ka.
How much rice would you like? → nami (regular) / oomori (large) — or point
[rice [of] amount [topic] how-about do (honorific) ?]
Traveler: Nami de, onegaishimasu.
Regular, please.
[regular by, please]
Traveler: Gohan no okawari, ii desu ka.
May I have a rice refill?
[rice [of] refill, good is ?]
Staff: Okawari wa jiyuu desu.
Refills are free. → the magic sentence — the same words posted on walls as おかわり自由
[refill [topic] free is]
Traveler: Okaikei onegaishimasu.
The check, please.
[check please]
Staff: Kyuuhyaku-en desu.
That's 900 yen.
[900-yen is]
Traveler: Gochisousama deshita.
Thank you for the meal. (to staff, on the way out)
[feast-was (fixed thanks)]

MinicoreJapanese: Kyou wa sakana desu.
Native: きょうはさかなです。
English: Today it's fish.
Literal: today [topic] fish is

MinicoreJapanese: Ja, higawari, onegaishimasu.
Native: じゃ、日替わり、お願いします。
English: Then the special, please.
Literal: well-then, daily-special, please

MinicoreJapanese: Nami de, onegaishimasu.
Native: なみでお願いします。
English: Regular, please.
Literal: regular by, please

MinicoreJapanese: Kyuuhyaku-en desu.
Native: 九百円です。
English: That's 900 yen.
Literal: 900-yen is

MinicoreJapanese: Fast-food counter scripts
Notes: Staff: Setto ni nasaimasu ka.
Make it a set? → Setto de. — or just the item: daijoubu desu
[set to do (honorific) ?]
Staff: San-ban de omachi no okyakusama, omatase itashimashita.
Number 3! Sorry for the wait. → the number printed on your receipt, called when your food is ready
[3-number at waiting [of] customer (honorific), made-you-wait (humble apology)]
Recognition only — you'll hear this; you never need to say it.

MinicoreJapanese: The higawari recital
Notes: Traveler: Higawari wa nan desu ka.
What's today's special?
[daily-special [topic] what is ?]
Staff: Honjitsu no higawari wa saba no shioyaki de gozaimasu. Gohan to misoshiru, kobachi ga tsuite, gohan no okawari wa jiyuu to natte orimasu.
Today's special is salt-grilled mackerel, served with rice, miso soup, and small sides — and rice refills are free.
[(too fast — that's the point)]
Traveler: Okawari wa jiyuu desu ka.
Are refills free?
[refill [topic] free is ?]
Staff: Hai. Jiyuu desu.
Yes — help yourself.
[yes. free is]

MinicoreJapanese: Honjitsu no higawari wa saba no shioyaki de gozaimasu. Gohan to misoshiru, kobachi ga tsuite, gohan no okawari wa jiyuu to natte orimasu.
Native: 本日の日替わりはさばの塩焼きでございます。ご飯とみそしる、小鉢がついて、ご飯のおかわりは自由となっております。
English: Today's special is salt-grilled mackerel, served with rice, miso soup, and small sides — and rice refills are free.
Literal: (too fast — that's the point)
Notes: At the teishoku counter. You own the spine: higawari (daily special), misoshiru (miso soup), and okawari + jiyuu (free refills) are this booster's words; gohan (rice) is Lesson 5's. Honjitsu is the formal 'today' that opens Lesson 5's sushi recital. New scene words: saba (mackerel), shioyaki (salt-grilled), kobachi (the little side dishes); …te orimasu is keigo wrapping. So: today it's grilled mackerel, the tray includes rice, soup, and sides — and the rice keeps coming for free.
Too fast on purpose — you're not meant to catch it all. Don't repeat it; repair it (Yukkuri onegaishimasu). Catching or guessing a word or two is the win.

MinicoreJapanese: Hai. Jiyuu desu.
Native: はい。自由です。
English: Yes — help yourself.
Literal: yes. free is