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

MinicoreJapanese: Matsuri wa itsu desu ka.
Native: 祭りはいつですか。
English: When is the festival?
Literal: festival [topic] when is ?
Notes: matsuri — the festival. Every neighborhood shrine has one; hotel desks and tourist offices know the schedule for miles around. Lesson 6's itsu opens the calendar.

MinicoreJapanese: Hanabi wa nan-ji kara desu ka.
Native: 花火は何時からですか。
English: What time do the fireworks start?
Literal: fireworks [topic] what-hour from is ?
Notes: hanabi — fireworks, literally "flower-fire." A hanabi taikai (fireworks display) is its own event class in Japan — tens of thousands of shells over a river. This question plans the whole evening around the answer.

MinicoreJapanese: Ii basho wa arimasu ka.
Native: いい場所はありますか。
English: Is there a good spot (to watch from)?
Literal: good place [topic] exists ?
Notes: basho — place, spot. Locals know which bridge, which bank, which corner — asked an hour early, this question is worth more than any ticket.

MinicoreJapanese: Hito ga ooi desu ne.
Native: 人が多いですね。
English: Crowded, isn't it!
Literal: people [ga] many is [ne]
Notes: Lesson 2's hito and Lesson 9's ooi … ne — the sentence the whole crowd is saying to each other anyway. Instant small talk with whoever is pressed against your elbow.

MinicoreJapanese: Yatai wa doko desu ka.
Native: 屋台はどこですか。
English: Where are the food stalls?
Literal: food-stall [topic] where is ?
Notes: yatai — the food stalls, the festival's glowing spine. Follow the smoke and this question is rarely needed — but at a big shrine the stall row can hide behind the main path.

MinicoreJapanese: Takoyaki o hitotsu kudasai.
Native: たこ焼きをひとつください。
English: One takoyaki, please.
Literal: takoyaki [obj] one give-me
Notes: takoyaki — octopus balls off a hot iron plate, the festival food. Hitotsu buys one boat of six or eight. They are lava inside; wait a minute you will not want to wait.

MinicoreJapanese: Yakisoba, onegaishimasu.
Native: 焼きそば、お願いします。
English: Yakisoba, please.
Literal: fried-noodles, please
Notes: yakisoba — griddle-fried noodles, the other pillar of the stall row. Point-and-onegaishimasu works down the entire street.

MinicoreJapanese: Kakigoori wa ikura desu ka.
Native: かき氷はいくらですか。
English: How much is the shaved ice?
Literal: shaved-ice [topic] how-much is ?
Notes: kakigoori — shaved ice under a violent stripe of syrup, summer's official dessert. Lesson 3's ikura; the answer is small.

MinicoreJapanese: Wataame mo kudasai.
Native: わたあめもください。
English: Cotton candy too, please.
Literal: cotton-candy also give-me
Notes: wataame — cotton candy, in bags bigger than your head. Lesson 5's mo keeps the order growing, which is how festival eating works.

MinicoreJapanese: Retsu desu ka.
Native: 列ですか。
English: Is this the line? (pointing at the queue)
Literal: line is ?
Notes: retsu — line, queue. Japan queues beautifully and invisibly; when a crowd might be a line, ask before standing in the middle of it. Useful far beyond festivals.

MinicoreJapanese: Gomi-bako wa doko desu ka.
Native: ゴミ箱はどこですか。
English: Where is a trash can?
Literal: trash-can [topic] where is ?
Notes: gomi-bako — trash can. Brace yourself: the usual answer is a polite gesture back at the stall you bought from — see the behavior notes. Another word that earns its keep everywhere in Japan.

MinicoreJapanese: Are wa mikoshi desu ka.
Native: あれはみこしですか。
English: Is that a mikoshi? (pointing)
Literal: that [topic] portable-shrine is ?
Notes: mikoshi — the portable shrine, carried at a jog by a chanting crowd. Lesson 2's pointing frame harvests the spectacle; stay clear of its path — it has right of way over everything.

MinicoreJapanese: Taiko desu ne.
Native: 太鼓ですね。
English: Those are (taiko) drums, aren't they.
Literal: drum is [ne]
Notes: taiko — the great drums you feel in your ribs before you see them. Small talk with the person next to you, again — festivals are the easiest talking practice in Japan.

MinicoreJapanese: Odori, ii desu ka.
Native: 踊り、いいですか。
English: May I (join the) dance?
Literal: dance, good is ?
Notes: odori — the dance. At a Bon festival, the circle dance (bon-odori) is participatory by design — this question plus a gesture at the circle gets you waved in. See the behavior notes; nobody is grading your footwork.

MinicoreJapanese: Kingyo-sukui wa ikura desu ka.
Native: 金魚すくいはいくらですか。
English: How much is the goldfish scooping?
Literal: goldfish-scooping [topic] how-much is ?
Notes: kingyo-sukui — goldfish scooping with a paper paddle that dissolves on contact with enthusiasm. A few hundred yen buys the attempt; the repair drill below buys you the rules.

MinicoreJapanese: Kono omen o kudasai.
Native: このお面をください。
English: This mask, please.
Literal: this mask [obj] give-me
Notes: omen — the character masks at every festival, worn on the side of the head by everyone under twelve and several people over forty. Lesson 2's kono … kudasai, unchanged since the konbini.

MinicoreJapanese: matsuri
Native: 祭り
English: festival
Notes: *Matsuri wa itsu desu ka.*

MinicoreJapanese: hanabi
Native: 花火
English: fireworks
Notes: *hanabi taikai* — a fireworks display

MinicoreJapanese: yatai
Native: 屋台
English: food stall
Notes: follow the smoke

MinicoreJapanese: mikoshi
Native: みこし
English: portable shrine
Notes: it has right of way

MinicoreJapanese: taiko
Native: 太鼓
English: (taiko) drums
Notes: you'll feel them first

MinicoreJapanese: odori
Native: 踊り
English: dance
Notes: *Odori, ii desu ka.* — join it

MinicoreJapanese: kakigoori
Native: かき氷
English: shaved ice
Notes: summer's official dessert

MinicoreJapanese: takoyaki
Native: たこ焼き
English: octopus balls
Notes: lava inside — wait a minute

MinicoreJapanese: yakisoba
Native: 焼きそば
English: fried noodles
Notes: the stall row's other pillar

MinicoreJapanese: wataame
Native: わたあめ
English: cotton candy
Notes: bags bigger than your head

MinicoreJapanese: kingyo-sukui
Native: 金魚すくい
English: goldfish scooping
Notes: the paddle always wins

MinicoreJapanese: basho
Native: 場所
English: place / spot
Notes: *Ii basho wa arimasu ka.*

MinicoreJapanese: gomi-bako
Native: ゴミ箱
English: trash can
Notes: famously absent — carry a bag

MinicoreJapanese: omen
Native: お面
English: (festival) mask
Notes: worn on the side of the head

MinicoreJapanese: retsu
Native: 列
English: line / queue
Notes: *Retsu desu ka.* — ask before joining

MinicoreJapanese: Mamonaku hanabi ga hajimarimasu.
Native: まもなく花火が始まります。
English: fireworks starting soon
Notes: find your spot now

MinicoreJapanese: Ashimoto ni gochuui kudasai.
Native: 足元にご注意ください。
English: watch your step
Notes: look down — cables and curbs

MinicoreJapanese: At the matsuri
Notes: Traveler: Sumimasen. Takoyaki o hitotsu kudasai.
Excuse me — one takoyaki, please.
[excuse-me. takoyaki [obj] one give-me]
Vendor: Hai! Go-hyaku en desu.
Sure! 500 yen.
[yes! five-hundred yen is]
Traveler: Kakigoori mo arimasu ka.
Do you have shaved ice too?
[shaved-ice also exists ?]
Vendor: Arimasu yo. Asoko desu.
We do — over there.
[exists [yo]. over-there is]
Traveler: Sumimasen. Hanabi wa nan-ji kara desu ka.
Excuse me — what time do the fireworks start?
[excuse-me. fireworks [topic] what-hour from is ?]
Vendor: Shichi-ji kara desu yo.
From 7:00.
[7:00 from is [yo]]
Traveler: Ii basho wa arimasu ka.
Is there a good spot?
[good place [topic] exists ?]
Vendor: Asoko ga ii desu yo.
Over there is good.
[over-there [ga] good is [yo]]
Traveler: Arigatou gozaimasu.
Thank you.
[thank you (full polite form)]

MinicoreJapanese: Sumimasen. Takoyaki o hitotsu kudasai.
Native: すみません。たこ焼きをひとつください。
English: Excuse me — one takoyaki, please.
Literal: excuse-me. takoyaki [obj] one give-me

MinicoreJapanese: Hai! Go-hyaku en desu.
Native: はい！五百円です。
English: Sure! 500 yen.
Literal: yes! five-hundred yen is

MinicoreJapanese: Kakigoori mo arimasu ka.
Native: かき氷もありますか。
English: Do you have shaved ice too?
Literal: shaved-ice also exists ?

MinicoreJapanese: Arimasu yo. Asoko desu.
Native: ありますよ。あそこです。
English: We do — over there.
Literal: exists [yo]. over-there is

MinicoreJapanese: Sumimasen. Hanabi wa nan-ji kara desu ka.
Native: すみません。花火は何時からですか。
English: Excuse me — what time do the fireworks start?
Literal: excuse-me. fireworks [topic] what-hour from is ?

MinicoreJapanese: Shichi-ji kara desu yo.
Native: 七時からですよ。
English: From 7:00.
Literal: 7:00 from is [yo]

MinicoreJapanese: Asoko ga ii desu yo.
Native: あそこがいいですよ。
English: Over there is good.
Literal: over-there [ga] good is [yo]

MinicoreJapanese: Festival announcements
Notes: Announcement: Mamonaku hanabi ga hajimarimasu.
The fireworks will begin shortly. → mamonaku = 'soon', the same word as the train platforms
[soon fireworks [ga] begin]
Announcement: Ashimoto ni gochuui kudasai.
Please watch your step. → dark paths, cables, and river banks — the night's real hazard
[feet [ni] caution please]

MinicoreJapanese: The goldfish question
Notes: Traveler: Sumimasen. Kingyo-sukui wa ikura desu ka.
Excuse me — how much is the goldfish scooping?
[excuse-me. goldfish-scooping [topic] how-much is ?]
Vendor: Ikkai nihyaku-en de, poi ga yaburetara shuuryou desu ga, kingyo wa ippiki mochikaeremasu yo.
200 yen a go; when the paddle tears you're done, but you can take one goldfish home.
[(too fast — that's the point)]
Traveler: Sumimasen. Yukkuri onegaishimasu.
Sorry — slowly, please.
[excuse-me. slowly, please]
Vendor: Ni-hyaku en desu.
200 yen.
[two-hundred yen is]

MinicoreJapanese: Sumimasen. Kingyo-sukui wa ikura desu ka.
Native: すみません。金魚すくいはいくらですか。
English: Excuse me — how much is the goldfish scooping?
Literal: excuse-me. goldfish-scooping [topic] how-much is ?

MinicoreJapanese: Ikkai nihyaku-en de, poi ga yaburetara shuuryou desu ga, kingyo wa ippiki mochikaeremasu yo.
Native: 一回二百円で、ポイが破れたら終了ですが、金魚は一匹持ち帰れますよ。
English: 200 yen a go; when the paddle tears you're done, but you can take one goldfish home.
Literal: (too fast — that's the point)

MinicoreJapanese: Ni-hyaku en desu.
Native: 二百円です。
English: 200 yen.
Literal: two-hundred yen is