68 - One-Leisure Cheap Beer Members' Card

Yesterday I was talking about how work (the real job) has been busy.

Somehow that became a lesson about 休む, 休み, 一休み, and 休憩 (here's the link).

Confession: The real reason I was talking about work being busy is that I needed an excuse to tell you all about my favorite new izakaya: 一休 (ikkyuu).

(What's an izakaya? How do I, uh, izakaya? That's Lesson #56, yo.)

Thanks to yesterday's lesson, you might see that 一休 and think hito-yasumi?

Alas, no.

They made their own new word by using the onyomi of the kanji:

一 (ichi) + 休 (kyuu) = 一休 (ikkyuu).

As an added bit of cleverness, the URL of their website is 193.co.jp:

一 (ichi) is 1.

九 (kyuu) is 9.

三 (san) is 3.

So you could read that as:

1-9-3
一 九 三
ichi kyuu san.
One-nine-three.

OR

193
百九十三
hyaku kyuu-juu san.
One-hundred ninety three.

They're trying to be clever by having is read: ikkyuusan.

San can be 三, 3.

Or san can be the さん at the end of a person's name when you're being polite.

Or san can go at the end of a shop name.

We saw this way-way-way back in Lesson #1 (lessons were so much shorter back them), when I went to the 歯医者さん (haisha-san // dentist).

Or you could say that you went to a 寿司屋さん (sushi-ya-san // sushi shop).

I have no idea why you'd need to add さん (san) after already adding 屋 (ya), which means "shop" (or "roof"). Don't blame me. Blame Japanese people.

So we have:

193

一 九 三
ichi kyuu san
One Nine Three

一休さん
ikkyuu-san
Ikkyuu Shop

Ah.... I see...

Or that's what I interpreted the meaning of their URL to be. Who knows, I could be wrong!

Rei and I love this izakaya:

お疲れ!
otsukare
(Literally: "o-tired.")

(Note: An abbreviation of お疲れ様です [otsukaresama desu] or お疲れ様でした [otsukaresama deshita] or お疲れ様 [otsukaresama] all of which are phrases you use with someone after [they're tired from] working [again, don't blame me... blame Japan]. If you get a job in Japan, I'll bet you $28,000 you hear one of these variations on your first day of work--either when you're leaving to go home or cheers-ing with your new coworkers after a long day.)

That sign next to Rei says:

いつ来ても
半額で
飲食したい人
大募集
itsu kitemo
hangaku de
inshoku shitai hito
daiboshuu

Now searching for people who want to get half off on food and drinks anytime.
(Literally, Line #1: "when + even if come")
(Literally, Line #2: "half-price + で")
(Literally, Line #3: "drinking and eating + want to do + person")
(Literally, Line #4: "big recruiting")
(Note: In other words, they're now hiring.)

We saw 募集 back in Lesson #19, and we saw 半額 back in Lesson #8!

Anyways...

Here's the real reason we love this place:

いつでも生ビール190円
itsu demo nama-biiru hyaku kyuu-juu en.
Draft Beer Is Always 190 Yen!
(Literally: "anytime + draft beer [raw beer] + 190 yen")
(Note: See what 一休 [ikkyuu] did here with that 190 yen?)

Before you even ask--Yes, this is real life.

As for your second question, What's the catch?, it's written right above the price:

グループ全員メンバーズ会員なら
guruupu zenin menbaazu kaiin nara
Only if all members of your party are (Ikkyu) members.
(Literally [Confusing Version]: "group + all members + members + members + if.")
(Literally [Simpler Version]: "all group members + shop members + if.")

Members? You ask.

Yeah, you need a member's card, they tell you.

If you're like me, this is your first reaction:

But let's hear them out anyways...

「メンバーズカード」ってなぁに?
'menbaazu kaado' tte naani?
What's a "member's card?"
(Literally: "members card + って + whaaat?")

Looking closely at those terms, we see that:

一休では、メンバーズカードを持っていると毎日安くなります!
ikkyuu de wa, menbaazu kaado wo motteiru to mainichi yasuku narimasu.
Every day is cheaper when you have a member's card at Ikkyu!
(Literally: "Ikkyuu + では + member's card + を + are holding + と + every day + cheap + becomes.")

お一人様300円(税別)で1年(発行月を含む12カ月間)有効!!
o-hitori-sama sanbyaku en (zeibetsu) de ichinen (hakkou-dzuki [?] wo fukumu juu-ni-ka-getsu kan) yuukou!!
It costs 300 yen per person (tax excluded) and is active for 1 year (12 months including the date it is issued).
(Literally: "o - one person - sama + 300 yen + (tax excluded) + で + one year + ( issuing + month + を + include + 12 month period) + valid!!")

もちろんその日から割引になります!
mochiron sono hi kara waribiki ni narimasu!
Of course, you also get a discount on the day you become a member.
(Literally: "of course + that + day + from + discount + に + becomes.")

いわゆる、一休の年間パスポートのようなものなのです。
iwayuru, ikkyuu no nenkan pasupouto no you na mono na no desu.
In other words, it's like a 1-year passport for Ikkyu.
(Literally: "so to speak + Ikkyuu + の + yearly [period] + passport + の + like + thing + なの + is.")

I guess members' cards are kind of complicated in any language, yeah?

Here's the simple version:

安くなります
yasuku narimasu
It / Everything gets cheaper!
(Literally: "cheap + becomes.")

入会金300円(税別)
nyuukai-kin sanbyaku en (zeibetsu)
300 yen to join (tax not included)
(Literally: "join-money + 300 yen + tax excluded.")

当日入会して即有効
toujitsu nyuukai shite soku-yuukou
Same-Day Activation
(Literally: "same day + joining / initiation + do and + instant-valid.")

All in all, it turns out to be a pretty sweet deal.

I mean, a beer at a nice, chill restaurant for under $2 US?

Yes, please.

Oh, by the way, normally I'd try to break down all that crazy grammar above [or lack thereof], but I doubt you'll need to create your own membership card terms anytime soon.

The key here is comprehension, which (I'm hoping) can be pieced together with those word-by-word breakdowns.

If not, shame rains upon me. _(-_-)_


Bonus Phrases

一個ちょうだい。
いっこ ちょうだい。
Can I have one?
Literal:one + please
Note:For example, if your friend is eating french fries, and you want one.

この本読むの九回目。
この ほん よむ の きゅうかい め。
This is my ninth time reading this book.

本屋は三階です。
ほんや は さんがい です。
The bookshop is on the third floor.

193円です。
ひゃくきゅうじゅうさん えん です。
It's 193 yen.

お寿司屋さん行こうよ。
おすしやさん いこう よ。
Let's go to sushi.

一休さんって知ってる?
いっきゅうさん って しってる?
Do you know who Ikkyū-san is?
Note: Ikkyū-san is a famous Zen Buddhist monk.

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