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The Machine Just Ate Your Five Hundred Yen. Do Not Walk Away From It.

To say It's broken. It isn't working. in Japanese, say 壊れています (kowarete imasu).

The vending machine took your five hundred yen coin and gave you nothing back, and you are about to give up on it.

kowarete imasu It's broken. It isn't working.

Beginner mini-scenario #learnjapanese #japantravel #japanesephrases #japantips #travelhacks

In this video

  1. 壊れています。 kowarete imasu. It's broken.
  2. すみません、これ、壊れているみたいです。 sumimasen, kore, kowarete iru mitai desu. Excuse me, this one seems to be broken.
  3. すみません、ロッカーが壊れています。 sumimasen, rokkā ga kowarete imasu. Excuse me, the locker is broken.

Kanji in this phrase

壊れています
こわれています
壊れて
こわれて
壊れ
こわれ
壊
こわ

Why this phrase

Day one machine failures are relentless: the coin locker will not release, the hotel key card stops working, the ticket machine swallows a bill. Tourists either abandon the money or mime frantically. 壊れています is the universal opener and it transfers to every machine in the country. Teach it as something you say to the NEAREST HUMAN, station office, front desk, shop staff. Do NOT promise a refund hotline or a live operator: the number on a vending machine is Japanese-only and this phrase will not carry that call. 壊れています, not 壊れました, because the ています form says it is in a broken state right now. The softened 「壊れているみたいです」 is what a native would actually say and belongs as a bonus beat, not a second takeaway. Do not add 動きません.

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