Title: MiniCore Japanese-EN / Booster: Ticket-Machine Restaurants
Tags: MinicoreJapanese-EN booster-shokken vocab sentence dialog-line dialog recognition

MinicoreJapanese: Shokken wa doko de kaimasu ka.
Native: 食券はどこで買いますか。
English: Where do I buy the meal ticket?
Literal: meal-ticket [topic] where at buy ?
Notes: shokken — the meal ticket, with Lesson 6's place-de and Lesson 5's kaimasu. This is the question that turns a confused doorway moment into a pointed finger — and once you know the word, the whole system explains itself.

MinicoreJapanese: Kenbaiki wa doko desu ka.
Native: 券売機はどこですか。
English: Where is the ticket machine?
Literal: ticket-machine [topic] where is ?
Notes: kenbaiki — the ticket machine itself, usually just inside the door, occasionally hiding around a corner. It's also the word staff will use when they redirect you — hear it, look for the glowing buttons.

MinicoreJapanese: Gyuudon no mise wa arimasu ka.
Native: 牛丼の店はありますか。
English: Is there a gyudon (beef bowl) place (around here)?
Literal: beef-bowl of shop [topic] exists ?
Notes: gyuudon — the beef bowl, the ticket machine's other empire: cheap, fast, open at 3 a.m., and utterly reliable. Lesson 2's no glues it to Lesson 3's mise, and any station-area local can point you to one.

MinicoreJapanese: Osusume wa dore desu ka.
Native: おすすめはどれですか。
English: Which one do you recommend? (gesturing at the machine)
Literal: recommendation [topic] which is ?
Notes: The [Izakaya booster](/boosters/booster-izakaya/)'s osusume, now in Lesson 2's dore form — because here the answer is a button, and someone will happily press it for you.

MinicoreJapanese: Kono botan desu ka.
Native: このボタンですか。
English: Is it this button? (finger hovering)
Literal: this button is ?
Notes: botan — button. Confirm before you commit; the machine takes your coins seriously.

MinicoreJapanese: Miso ga ii desu.
Native: みそがいいです。
English: I'll take miso. (asked which broth)
Literal: miso [ga] good is
Notes: miso — the rich fermented-bean broth, and one of ramen's three great schools. The other two:

MinicoreJapanese: Shouyu ramen wa arimasu ka.
Native: しょうゆラーメンはありますか。
English: Do you have shouyu (soy sauce) ramen?
Literal: soy-sauce ramen [topic] exists ?
Notes: shouyu — soy sauce: the clear, classic Tokyo bowl. (The word also labels the little pitcher on every table in Japan — double value.)

MinicoreJapanese: Shio ramen mo arimasu ka.
Native: しおラーメンもありますか。
English: Is there shio (salt) ramen too?
Literal: salt ramen also exists ?
Notes: shio — salt: the lightest of the three. Miso, shouyu, shio — read them off the buttons and you've decoded most ramen machines in the country.

MinicoreJapanese: Oomori, onegaishimasu.
Native: 大盛り、お願いします。
English: Large size, please.
Literal: large-serving, please
Notes: oomori — the big bowl, on the button or said while handing the ticket over. At many shops the upsize is free at lunch — worth the two words.

MinicoreJapanese: Nami, onegaishimasu.
Native: なみ、お願いします。
English: Regular size, please.
Literal: regular-serving, please
Notes: nami — regular, the 並 on gyudon buttons. At the gyuudon counter, nami and oomori are the only two words the buttons really need.

MinicoreJapanese: Tamago no toppingu, onegaishimasu.
Native: 卵のトッピング、お願いします。
English: An egg topping, please.
Literal: egg of topping, please
Notes: toppingu — topping, glued to Lesson 5's tamago with Lesson 2's no. Topping buttons cluster on the machine's lower rows; the soft-boiled egg is the connoisseur's default.

MinicoreJapanese: Kaedama, onegaishimasu.
Native: 替え玉、お願いします。
English: A noodle refill, please. (mid-bowl, broth remaining)
Literal: noodle-refill, please
Notes: kaedama — the noodle refill: a fresh serving of noodles dropped into your remaining broth, for a coin or two. Hakata-style shops live on it. Knowing this word marks you as someone who has done this before.

MinicoreJapanese: Mizu wa doko desu ka.
Native: 水はどこですか。
English: Where is the water?
Literal: water [topic] where is ?
Notes: Water and tea are self-serve — a pitcher on the counter or a dispenser by the wall. One Lesson 4 question finds it; after that you're pouring for yourself like a regular.

MinicoreJapanese: shokken
Native: 食券
English: meal ticket
Notes: buy it *before* sitting

MinicoreJapanese: kenbaiki
Native: 券売機
English: ticket machine
Notes: just inside the door

MinicoreJapanese: botan
Native: ボタン
English: button
Notes: *Kono botan desu ka.*

MinicoreJapanese: gyuudon
Native: 牛丼
English: beef bowl
Notes: the machine's other empire

MinicoreJapanese: miso
Native: みそ
English: miso (broth)
Notes: rich, northern

MinicoreJapanese: shouyu
Native: しょうゆ
English: soy sauce (broth)
Notes: clear, classic

MinicoreJapanese: shio
Native: しお
English: salt (broth)
Notes: the light one

MinicoreJapanese: oomori
Native: 大盛り
English: large serving
Notes: often free at lunch

MinicoreJapanese: nami
Native: なみ
English: regular serving
Notes: the 並 on the button

MinicoreJapanese: toppingu
Native: トッピング
English: lower rows of the machine
Notes: Stem: topping

MinicoreJapanese: kaedama
Native: 替え玉
English: noodle refill
Notes: broth stays, noodles return

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

MinicoreJapanese: Saki ni shokken o onegaishimasu.
Native: 先に食券をお願いします。
English: ticket first
Notes: to the machine, then back

MinicoreJapanese: Osuki na seki e douzo.
Native: お好きな席へどうぞ。
English: sit anywhere
Notes: any open counter seat is yours

MinicoreJapanese: At the ramen shop
Notes: Staff: Irasshaimase!
Welcome! (Lesson 3's greeting — review)
[welcome (shop greeting)]
Staff: Saki ni shokken o onegaishimasu.
The ticket first, please. (as you drift toward a seat — the redirect)
[first [ni] meal-ticket [obj] please]
Traveler: Sumimasen. Kenbaiki wa doko desu ka.
Sorry — where is the ticket machine?
[excuse-me. ticket-machine [topic] where is ?]
Staff: Asoko desu.
Over there.
[over-there is]
Traveler: Sumimasen. Osusume wa dore desu ka.
(at the machine, outnumbered by buttons) Excuse me — which one do you recommend?
[excuse-me. recommendation [topic] which is ?]
Staff: Kore desu yo. Miso ramen desu.
This one — the miso ramen.
[this is [yo]. miso ramen is]
Traveler: Ja, kore, onegaishimasu.
Then this one, please. (pressing it)
[well-then, this, please]
Staff: Osuki na seki e douzo.
Sit wherever you like. (ticket bought — see the script below)
[(honorific) liked seat toward go-ahead]
Traveler: Onegaishimasu. Oomori, ii desu ka.
(seated, handing the ticket) Here you are — can I make it a large?
[please. large-serving, good is ?]
Staff: Hai, daijoubu desu yo.
Yes, that's fine!
[yes, fine is [yo]]
Traveler: Kaedama, onegaishimasu.
(twenty minutes later, broth still glorious) A noodle refill, please.
[noodle-refill, please]
Staff: Hai!
Coming up!
[yes!]

MinicoreJapanese: Sumimasen. Kenbaiki wa doko desu ka.
Native: すみません。券売機はどこですか。
English: Sorry — where is the ticket machine?
Literal: excuse-me. ticket-machine [topic] where is ?

MinicoreJapanese: Sumimasen. Osusume wa dore desu ka.
Native: すみません。おすすめはどれですか。
English: (at the machine, outnumbered by buttons) Excuse me — which one do you recommend?
Literal: excuse-me. recommendation [topic] which is ?

MinicoreJapanese: Kore desu yo. Miso ramen desu.
Native: これですよ。みそラーメンです。
English: This one — the miso ramen.
Literal: this is [yo]. miso ramen is

MinicoreJapanese: Ja, kore, onegaishimasu.
Native: じゃ、これ、お願いします。
English: Then this one, please. (pressing it)
Literal: well-then, this, please

MinicoreJapanese: Onegaishimasu. Oomori, ii desu ka.
Native: お願いします。大盛り、いいですか。
English: (seated, handing the ticket) Here you are — can I make it a large?
Literal: please. large-serving, good is ?

MinicoreJapanese: Hai!
Native: はい！
English: Coming up!
Literal: yes!

MinicoreJapanese: Ticket-shop scripts
Notes: Staff: Saki ni shokken o onegaishimasu.
The ticket first, please. → you sat down too soon; the machine is by the door
[first [ni] meal-ticket [obj] please]
Staff: Osuki na seki e douzo.
Sit wherever you like. → ticket accepted; any open counter seat is yours
[(honorific) liked seat toward go-ahead]

MinicoreJapanese: The button question
Notes: Traveler: Sumimasen. Kono botan wa nan desu ka.
Excuse me — what is this button?
[excuse-me. this button [topic] what is ?]
Staff: Sochira wa men no katasa to negi-mashi no opushon de, muryou toppingu wa ue no dan no botan ni narimasu.
Those are the noodle-firmness and extra-green-onion options; the free toppings are the top row of buttons.
[(too fast — that's the point)]
Traveler: Nihongo wa chotto dake wakarimasu.
Sorry — I only understand a little Japanese.
[Japanese, a-little only understand]
Staff: Toppingu no botan desu. Douzo.
It's a topping button. Go ahead!
[topping of button is. go-ahead]

MinicoreJapanese: Sumimasen. Kono botan wa nan desu ka.
Native: すみません。このボタンは何ですか。
English: Excuse me — what is this button?
Literal: excuse-me. this button [topic] what is ?

MinicoreJapanese: Sochira wa men no katasa to negi-mashi no opushon de, muryou toppingu wa ue no dan no botan ni narimasu.
Native: そちらは麺の硬さとネギ増しのオプションで、無料トッピングは上の段のボタンになります。
English: Those are the noodle-firmness and extra-green-onion options; the free toppings are the top row of buttons.
Literal: (too fast — that's the point)

MinicoreJapanese: Toppingu no botan desu. Douzo.
Native: トッピングのボタンです。どうぞ。
English: It's a topping button. Go ahead!
Literal: topping of button is. go-ahead