Title: MiniCore Japanese-EN / Booster: Izakaya & Nightlife
Tags: MinicoreJapanese-EN booster-izakaya vocab sentence dialog-line dialog recognition

MinicoreJapanese: Ii izakaya wa arimasu ka.
Native: いい居酒屋はありますか。
English: Is there a good izakaya (around here)?
Literal: good izakaya [topic] exists ?
Notes: izakaya — the pub itself. Ask this at your hotel desk with Lesson 9's ii in front, and you'll be sent somewhere better than any app would send you. Once inside, Lesson 5's headcount (Futari desu) gets you seated.

MinicoreJapanese: Nomihoudai wa arimasu ka.
Native: 飲み放題はありますか。
English: Do you have all-you-can-drink?
Literal: all-you-can-drink [topic] exists ?
Notes: nomihoudai — all-you-can-drink, a fixed price for a fixed window (usually two hours). Groups run on it; ask before the first order, since it has to cover the whole table.

MinicoreJapanese: Tabehoudai mo arimasu ka.
Native: 食べ放題もありますか。
English: Is there all-you-can-eat too?
Literal: all-you-can-eat also exists ?
Notes: tabehoudai — the eating twin, riding Lesson 5's mo. The -houdai ending means "as much as you like" — you'll spot it on signs from yakiniku to dessert buffets.

MinicoreJapanese: Nama o futatsu kudasai.
Native: なまをふたつください。
English: Two draft beers, please.
Literal: draft [obj] two give-me
Notes: nama — draft beer (literally "fresh"). The single most-ordered word in any izakaya, with Lesson 3's futatsu counting the glasses. Around you, everyone shouts a version of this the moment they sit down — see the behavior notes.

MinicoreJapanese: Osusume wa nan desu ka.
Native: おすすめは何ですか。
English: What do you recommend?
Literal: recommendation [topic] what is ?
Notes: osusume — the recommendation. Izakaya menus run long and handwritten; this question hands the decision to someone who knows, and the answer usually comes with a pointing finger you can follow. The single best sentence for eating well in Japan.

MinicoreJapanese: Kanpai!
Native: 乾杯！
English: Cheers!
Literal: a toast! (bare noun — the toast is just its name)
Notes: kanpai — the toast. It's a noun (literally "dry glass"), and shouting the noun is the toast — the same bare-noun move as the course's branch fragments (Ashita ame?), no new grammar in sight. Glasses up, eye contact, kanpai, then drink — never before.

MinicoreJapanese: Yakitori, onegaishimasu.
Native: 焼き鳥、お願いします。
English: Yakitori, please.
Literal: grilled-chicken-skewers, please
Notes: yakitori — chicken skewers off the grill, the izakaya's backbone. Ordering "yakitori" gets you the house assortment; pointing at the menu gets you specific.

MinicoreJapanese: Edamame o hitotsu kudasai.
Native: 枝豆をひとつください。
English: One edamame, please.
Literal: edamame [obj] one give-me
Notes: edamame — salted soybeans, the beer's best friend. Hitotsu = one serving; it arrives faster than anything else on the menu.

MinicoreJapanese: Karaage mo onegaishimasu.
Native: 唐揚げもお願いします。
English: Fried chicken too, please.
Literal: fried-chicken also, please
Notes: karaage — Japanese fried chicken. Mo keeps stacking the order — this is exactly how locals order, in waves, all night.

MinicoreJapanese: Kore wa otoshi desu ka.
Native: これはお通しですか。
English: Is this the otoshi? (as an unordered dish lands)
Literal: this [topic] otoshi is ?
Notes: otoshi — the small dish you didn't order that appears with the first drinks. It is not a mistake and not free — see the behavior notes. This sentence, asked with a smile, shows you know the system.

MinicoreJapanese: Nihonshu wa arimasu ka.
Native: 日本酒はありますか。
English: Do you have sake?
Literal: Japanese-rice-wine [topic] exists ?
Notes: nihonshu — what English calls "sake." (In Japanese, osake means alcohol in general; nihonshu is the rice wine specifically — order with this word and there's no ambiguity.)

MinicoreJapanese: Haibooru, onegaishimasu.
Native: ハイボール、お願いします。
English: A highball, please.
Literal: highball, please
Notes: haibooru — whisky and soda, and somehow Japan's national mixed drink. (If you took the [Katakana booster](/boosters/booster-katakana/), read it off the menu: ハイボール.)

MinicoreJapanese: Umeshu ga ii desu.
Native: 梅酒がいいです。
English: I'll have the plum wine.
Literal: plum-wine [ga] good is
Notes: umeshu — plum wine, sweet and gentle — the standard answer when beer and whisky both sound wrong. Lesson 5's preference frame picks it off the drinks list.

MinicoreJapanese: Warikan, ii desu ka.
Native: 割り勘、いいですか。
English: Shall we split it evenly? (to your companions)
Literal: even-split, good is ?
Notes: warikan — the even split: one bill, divided by heads, nobody audits who drank what. The default among friends in Japan; propose it with Lesson 7's permission frame. (The bill itself is Lesson 5's Okaikei, onegaishimasu, unchanged.)

MinicoreJapanese: Betsu-betsu, onegaishimasu.
Native: 別々、お願いします。
English: Separate checks, please. (at the register)
Literal: separately, please
Notes: betsu-betsu — separate payment, each person paying their own. Said at the register; staff handle the arithmetic without blinking — it's asked constantly.

MinicoreJapanese: Shuuden wa nan-ji desu ka.
Native: 終電は何時ですか。
English: What time is the last train?
Literal: last-train [topic] what-hour is ?
Notes: shuuden — the last train, the word that governs every Japanese night out. Trains stop around midnight and do not care about your evening. Ask this — of staff, of friends, of your phone — before the second round, not after.

MinicoreJapanese: Takushii de kaerimasu.
Native: タクシーで帰ります。
English: I'll take a taxi home. (the after-shuuden sentence)
Literal: taxi by go-home
Notes: Missed it anyway? Lesson 6's kaerimasu with means-de announces plan B. Taxis are honest and metered — and pricey after midnight, which is why the sentence above this one exists.

MinicoreJapanese: izakaya
Native: 居酒屋
English: Japanese pub
Notes: *Ii izakaya wa arimasu ka.*

MinicoreJapanese: nama
Native: なま
English: draft beer
Notes: *Nama o futatsu kudasai.*

MinicoreJapanese: kanpai
Native: 乾杯
English: cheers / a toast
Notes: glasses up first, drink after

MinicoreJapanese: nomihoudai
Native: 飲み放題
English: all-you-can-drink
Notes: fixed price, fixed window

MinicoreJapanese: tabehoudai
Native: 食べ放題
English: all-you-can-eat
Notes: the *-houdai* family

MinicoreJapanese: otoshi
Native: お通し
English: table-charge appetizer
Notes: not a mistake — see behavior notes

MinicoreJapanese: osusume
Native: おすすめ
English: recommendation
Notes: *Osusume wa nan desu ka.*

MinicoreJapanese: yakitori
Native: 焼き鳥
English: grilled chicken skewers
Notes: the house assortment is safe

MinicoreJapanese: edamame
Native: 枝豆
English: salted soybeans
Notes: fastest thing on the menu

MinicoreJapanese: karaage
Native: 唐揚げ
English: Japanese fried chicken
Notes: *Karaage mo onegaishimasu.*

MinicoreJapanese: nihonshu
Native: 日本酒
English: sake (rice wine)
Notes: *osake* = alcohol in general

MinicoreJapanese: haibooru
Native: ハイボール
English: highball
Notes: whisky-soda, the national mixer

MinicoreJapanese: umeshu
Native: 梅酒
English: plum wine
Notes: sweet; *Umeshu ga ii desu.*

MinicoreJapanese: warikan
Native: 割り勘
English: even split (of the bill)
Notes: *Warikan, ii desu ka.*

MinicoreJapanese: betsu-betsu
Native: 別々
English: separate (checks)
Notes: *Betsu-betsu, onegaishimasu.*

MinicoreJapanese: shuuden
Native: 終電
English: last train
Notes: ask **before** the second round

MinicoreJapanese: Otoshi ni narimasu.
Native: お通しになります。
English: here's the table-charge dish
Notes: nod — it's part of the deal

MinicoreJapanese: Osage shite mo yoroshii desu ka.
Native: お下げしてもよろしいですか。
English: may I clear the plates?
Notes: *Hai, onegaishimasu.* / *Daijoubu desu.*

MinicoreJapanese: A night at the izakaya
Notes: Staff: Nan-mei sama desu ka.
How many? (Lesson 5's script — review)
[how-many-people (honorific) is ?]
Traveler: Futari desu.
Two of us.
[two-people is]
Staff: Kochira e douzo.
This way, please. (Lesson 5's script — review)
[this-way toward go-ahead]
Traveler: Nomihoudai wa arimasu ka.
Do you have all-you-can-drink?
[all-you-can-drink [topic] exists ?]
Staff: Hai, arimasu. Ni-jikan desu.
Yes, we do. It's two hours.
[yes, exists. two-hours is]
Traveler: Ja, nomihoudai, onegaishimasu.
Then all-you-can-drink, please.
[well-then, all-you-can-drink, please]
Traveler: Kanpai!
(glasses arrive) Cheers!
[a toast!]
Staff: Raasuto oodaa ni narimasu.
Last orders, please. (Lesson 5's script — the night is ending)
[last order becomes]
Traveler: Ja, okaikei, onegaishimasu.
Then the bill, please.
[well-then, bill, please]
Staff: Betsu-betsu desu ka.
Separate checks?
[separately is ?]
Traveler: Hai, betsu-betsu, onegaishimasu.
Yes — separate, please.
[yes, separately, please]
Traveler: Arigatou gozaimasu.
Thank you.
[thank you (full polite form)]

MinicoreJapanese: Hai, arimasu. Ni-jikan desu.
Native: はい、あります。二時間です。
English: Yes, we do. It's two hours.
Literal: yes, exists. two-hours is

MinicoreJapanese: Ja, nomihoudai, onegaishimasu.
Native: じゃ、飲み放題、お願いします。
English: Then all-you-can-drink, please.
Literal: well-then, all-you-can-drink, please

MinicoreJapanese: Ja, okaikei, onegaishimasu.
Native: じゃ、お会計、お願いします。
English: Then the bill, please.
Literal: well-then, bill, please

MinicoreJapanese: Betsu-betsu desu ka.
Native: 別々ですか。
English: Separate checks?
Literal: separately is ?

MinicoreJapanese: Hai, betsu-betsu, onegaishimasu.
Native: はい、別々、お願いします。
English: Yes — separate, please.
Literal: yes, separately, please

MinicoreJapanese: Izakaya scripts
Notes: Staff: Otoshi ni narimasu.
Here is your otoshi (table charge appetizer). → not a mistake; it's on the bill
[otoshi becomes]
Staff: Osage shite mo yoroshii desu ka.
May I clear your plates? → Hai, onegaishimasu. / (plate still going:) Daijoubu desu.
[(honorific) clear even good is ?]

MinicoreJapanese: The nomihoudai question
Notes: Traveler: Sumimasen. Nomihoudai wa ikura desu ka.
Excuse me — how much is all-you-can-drink?
[excuse-me. all-you-can-drink [topic] how-much is ?]
Staff: Nomihoudai wa ohitori-sama nisen-en, ni-jikan sei de, raasuto oodaa wa sanjuppun mae to natte orimasu.
All-you-can-drink is 2,000 yen per person, two-hour system, last order thirty minutes before the end.
[(too fast — that's the point)]
Traveler: Sumimasen. Mou ichido onegaishimasu.
Sorry — once more, please.
[excuse-me. one-more-time, please]
Staff: Nisen-en desu. Ni-jikan desu.
2,000 yen. Two hours.
[2000-yen is. two-hours is]

MinicoreJapanese: Sumimasen. Nomihoudai wa ikura desu ka.
Native: すみません。飲み放題はいくらですか。
English: Excuse me — how much is all-you-can-drink?
Literal: excuse-me. all-you-can-drink [topic] how-much is ?

MinicoreJapanese: Nomihoudai wa ohitori-sama nisen-en, ni-jikan sei de, raasuto oodaa wa sanjuppun mae to natte orimasu.
Native: 飲み放題はお一人様二千円、二時間制で、ラストオーダーは三十分前となっております。
English: All-you-can-drink is 2,000 yen per person, two-hour system, last order thirty minutes before the end.
Literal: (too fast — that's the point)

MinicoreJapanese: Nisen-en desu. Ni-jikan desu.
Native: 二千円です。二時間です。
English: 2,000 yen. Two hours.
Literal: 2000-yen is. two-hours is