There are so many great things about living in Kyoto. There is the river Kamogawa, on which so many events are held, thousands of temples to explore, hundreds of delicious restaurants, an abundance of nature, and the ease of cycling around.

But one thing is not so great, and that is the dreaded: 廃品回収車　（はいひん　かいしゅう　しゃ）or “waste collection truck.” Sometimes also called the 不用品回収車（ふようひん　かいしゅう　しゃ）or “unused item collection truck.”

This truck drives around your neighborhood once or twice a week blaring an announcement at about one billion decibels into your quiet bedroom in the morning. I am actually not quite sure how many times it goes by during the morning, but every Tuesday at 6 and 9am I am awoken by a high pitched voice screaming about garbage collection. The speakers on the truck repeat the same announcement over and over.

Now in theory, this is a great idea. If you have used items, especially big things like refrigerators, broken bicycles, or electronics, you simply have to wait for the truck to go by and take your things out to them. If there is one thing Japan is good at, it's recycling, and I am super grateful to live somewhere that takes saving the earth so seriously.

But seriously? Does it have to be so loud? Or so annoying? In Kyoto we get the added perk of a little song that accompanies the announcement. It's like 100 children singing or something. It's really awful.

Anyway, when it woke me up this morning I decided you guys need to learn this announcement, and so do I. I am embarrassed to say that after over 3 years in this city, I still didn't understand what the announcements were saying. So let's learn together!

First of all, give it a listen, I found a YouTube video of one of the popular announcements from these trucks. It's not the Kyoto one, but you can get the idea.

See if you can pick up any words when you listen:

廃品回収車の騒音コレクション
はいひん　かいしゅう　しゃ　の　そうおん　これくしょん
Waste Collection Truck Noise Collection

I found 2 slightly different announcements online that these trucks broadcast. Don’t worry if you didn’t understand anything in the video, because we are about to go over it line by line.

The first one says:

♪「こちらは、廃品回収車です。ご不要になりました、テレビ、パソコン、自転車、CDラジカセ、何でも回収致します。壊れていても構いません。お気軽にご相談ください。」♪

こちらは、廃品回収車です。
こちら　は、はいひん　かいしゅう　しゃ　です。
This is the waste collection truck.
Literally: “this + は + waste + collection + car + です”

ご不要になりました、テレビ、パソコン、自転車、CDラジカセ、何でも回収致します。
ごふよう　に　なりました、　てれび、　ぱそこん、じてんしゃ、CDらじかせ、なんでも　かいしゅう　いたします。
We collect any unused items like televisions, computers, bicycles, and CD players.
Literally: “unused + に + became + tv + computer + bicycle + CD player + anything + collect + いたします”
Note: 致します（いたします） is used in place of します in this sentence because the announcement is in 敬語（けいご） or super polite speech.
Check out this previous 敬語 lesson for more information.

壊れていても構いません。
こわれていても　かまいません。
It doesn't matter even if it's broken.
Literally: “even broken + don’t mind”
Note: Verb + ても in this case means “even if~” or “whether or not ~”

お気軽にご相談ください。
おきがるに　ごそうだん　ください。
Please consult with us freely.
Literally: “freely + consult + please”
Note: As you can see, the honorifics ご and お are used at the beginning of words throughout the announcement. This is another way to make the sentence super polite.

Here is one more announcement that is a bit different from the first one.

♪「こちらは廃品回収車です。ご家庭で不要になりました、テレビ、エアコン、冷蔵庫、洗濯機、パソコン、モニター、プリンター、扇風機、ストーブ、ミシン、ＣＤデッキ、コンポ、ゲーム機など無料で回収しております。壊れていてもかまいません。大きなものや重たいものなど、どんなものでも無料で回収いたします。ご不明な点がございましたら、お気軽にお声をおかけください。」♪

こちらは、廃品回収車です。
こちら　は、はいひん　かいしゅう　しゃ　です。
This is the waste collection truck.
Literally: “this + は + waste + collection + car + です”

ご家庭で不要になりました、テレビ、エアコン、冷蔵庫、洗濯機、パソコン、モニター、プリンター、扇風機、ストーブ、ミシン、ＣＤデッキ、コンポ、ゲーム機など無料で回収しております。
ごかてい　で　ふよう　に　なりました、てれび、えあこん、れいぞうこ、せんたくき、ぱそこん、もにたー、ぷりんたー、せんぷうき、すとーぶ、みしん、CDでっき、こんぽ、げーむき　など　むりょう　で　かいしゅう　して　おります。
We collect unneeded household items for free; televisions, air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, computers, monitors, printers, fans, stoves, sewing machines, CD players, stereos, game consoles, etc.
Literally: “household + で + unneeded + に + became + tv + air conditioners + refrigerators + washing machines + computers + monitors + printers + fans + stoves + sewing machines + CD players + stereos + game consoles + etc. + free + で + collect + do + おります”

壊れていても構いません。
こわれていても　かまいません。
It doesn't matter even if it's broken.
Literally: “even broken + don’t mind”

大きなものや重たいものなど、どんなものでも無料で回収いたします。
おおきな　もの　や　おもたい　もの　など、どんな　もの　でも　むりょう　で　かいしゅう　いたします。
Big items, heavy items, etc., we will collect anything for free.
Literally: “big + things + や + heavy + things + etc. + whatever + things + でも + free + で + collect + いたします”

ご不明な点がございましたら、お気軽にお声をおかけください。
ごふめいな　てん　が　ございましたら、おきがるに　おこえをおかけ　ください。
If you are uncertain about something, feel free to ask.
Literally: “uncertain + point + if you are + freely + call out + please”
Note: This sentence has a lot of 敬語（けいご）Please refer to these previous lessons if you are confused about anything:

[NDL #126] - Keigo Japanese - Part I
[NDL #127] - Keigo Japanese - Part II
[NDL #128] - Keigo Japanese - Part III
[NDL #129] - Keigo Japanese - Part IV

Maybe now that I know what they are saying I can try to appreciate recycling a little more when I hear them in the morning. But I doubt it...

This lesson was written by Cassy L., a guest contributor: