Hot Springs & Baths

1. Ng ngar er ker a hot spring?

   Where is the hot spring?

   Usage

   Used to ask where the hot spring is located

   Grammar Note

   "Where" is ker (pro. where). The set frame for asking a location is Ng ngar er ker a ...? (Ng ngar er ker a Mars? = "Where is Mars?"; Ng ngar er ker a tik? = "Where's my purse?"). tela el beluu means "how many villages/places", not "where". Hot spring is an English loan phrase.

2. Ng tela el klok e a bath a omuchel?

   What are the bathing hours?

   Usage

   Used to ask about bathing hours at a hot spring

   Grammar Note

   "Bath" is an English loanword. "Ng tela el klok e a ... a omuchel?" ("What time does X start?") is the frame, e.g. Tela el klok e a makit a omuchel? = "What time does the market open?" The e is not stray. A separate frame uses a possessed action noun: Ng tela el klok a omelechelbel a Eli? = "What time is Eli showering?" Klebesei means "night / a 24-hour period", not clock time.

3. Ng ungil a chad el ngar er ngii a tattoo?

   Are people with tattoos allowed?

   Usage

   Used to ask if tattoos are allowed at a hot spring

   Grammar Note

   Possession is "X a ngar er ngii a Y" ("X has Y"), which relativises to chad el ngar er ngii a tattoo, "a person who has a tattoo". Ngar er ngii is followed by a, never el. Tattoo is an English loan.

4. Ng kakerous a bath er a sechal me a redil?

   Are the baths mixed-gender or separated?

   Usage

   Used to ask about gender separation at the bath

   Grammar Note

   "Man" is sechal and "woman" is redil; sorir is the 3rd-person plural possessive of sau (liking) and never means "man"

5. Ng ngar er ngii a private bath?

   Is there a private bath available?

   Usage

   Used to ask about private bath availability

   Grammar Note

   private bath borrowed from English. ngar er ngii = there is / do you have

6. Ng tela a kleldelel a ralm?

   What is the water temperature?

   Usage

   Used to ask about the water temperature of the bath

   Grammar Note

   Kleald is the noun "heat"; kleldelel is its third-person possessive form, as in kleldelel a kleald er ngii. It appears as ralm a kleald, "the heat of water." "Ng tela a + possessive + a + noun?" is the standard frame for asking a quantity (Ng tela a cheral a kelek? = "What is the cost of our food?"). Rasm is the word for a sewing needle (rasm er a chim, hand-sewing needle; merasm, to sew), with no temperature sense.

7. Ng ngar er ngii a towel el sebechek el meleng?

   Are towels available to rent?

   Usage

   Used to ask if towels are provided or available to rent

   Grammar Note

   Meleng is v.t. "borrow; rent; hire" (Ak meleng a udoud... = "I'm borrowing money"). "Is there ...?" is Ng ngar er ngii a ...?, followed by a, not el. Towel is an English loan.

8. Ng ngar er ker a sebechek el melecholb?

   Where should I wash before entering the bath?

   Usage

   Used to ask about pre-bath washing protocol

   Grammar Note

   Melecholb is v.t. "bathe; wash" (Ak mo melecholb er a kebesengei. = "I will shower tonight."). "Where" is ker. Mesiou means "serve (a person); dress oneself up", not "wash". Tela el beluu is likewise not "where".

9. A ralm a kmal mekeald. Ng ngar er ngii a mekelekolt el ralm?

   The water is very hot — is there a cooler pool?

   Usage

   Used when the water is too hot and you want a cooler pool

   Grammar Note

   Mekeald is v.s. "warm; hot" (Ng mera el mekeald! = "It is very hot!"); its antonym is mekelekolt, v.s. "cold, cool" - mekeald is contrasted with it as diak le mekelekolt. "Cold water" is mekelekolt el ralm (A mekelekolt el ralm a mekngit er ngak. = "Cold water is bad for me."). Rasm is a sewing needle and dellomel is "a plant (already growing)"; neither is a temperature word.

10. Ng ngarang a mineral el ngar er tia el spring?

    What minerals are in this spring?

    Usage

    Used to ask about the mineral content of a spring

    Grammar Note

    "What is in ...?" is Ng ngarang a ... el ngar er ... (Ng ngarang a ngar er a bebul a tebel? = "What is on the table?"). Tela asks a quantity, "how much / how many", not "what". Mineral is an English loan.

11. Ng tela a cheral el mo er tiang?

    What is the entry fee?

    Usage

    Used to ask about the entry fee for a bath or hot spring

    Grammar Note

    Cheral is the third-person possessive of "price"; the set frame for asking a fee is Ng tela a cheral ...? (Ng tela a cheral a kelek? = "What is the cost of our food?"; cheral a blai, "the cost of the house"; cheral a dekool, "cigarette prices"). Belkul is n.poss.3s "meaning; purpose" (belkul a tekoi, "the meaning of a word") and carries no price sense.

12. Ng mekerang el ousbech a locker?

    How do I use the locker?

    Usage

    Used to ask how to use the locker

    Grammar Note

    locker is borrowed from English. mekerang is the question verb "do what?"; combined with ousbech (use / need) it asks how to use something

13. Ng ngar er ngii a ryokan package?

    Do you offer an onsen ryokan package?

    Usage

    Used to ask about ryokan or hot spring packages

    Grammar Note

    "Ryokan package" is an English/Japanese loan phrase. The existential Ng ngar er ngii a ...? agrees with ng, not the first-person ak, and is followed by a, not el.

14. Ng ngar er ngii a restaurant er tiang?

    Is there a restaurant here?

    Usage

    Used to ask if there is a restaurant at the facility

    Grammar Note

    restaurant borrowed from English. ngar er ngii = there is

15. Ng tela el bung a ungil el mo er tiang?

    How long should I soak?

    Usage

    Used to ask how long to soak in the hot spring

    Grammar Note

    "Bung" is a loanword from Japanese 分 (minute); klebesei means "night" and cannot express a duration in minutes

Browse all TravelPhrases languages