In my misguided wanderings of Tokyo, I'm always taking pictures of signs.

Usually it's because said signs have some Japanese I want to share with readers.

To my shame, though, I usually end up forgetting about the photos, and they are buried in a mass of digital storage.

Not today, though.

I only have about 15 minutes to write this lesson, so it's the perfect chance to break down one of these many "sign photos" I've collected:

It's kind of hard to read that (along with pretty much any handwritten Japanese), but it says:

６月から毎週金曜日
生ビール半額！！
roku gatsu kara maishuu kinyoubi
nama biiru hangaku!!
Starting in June, every Friday
draft beer is half price!

This couple of lines is filled with Japanese that is perfect for reading signs on our travels around the Land of the Rising Sun.

Number + Month (月)
１月 = ichigatsu = January
２月 = nigatsu = February
３月 = sangatsu = March
４月 = shigatsu = April
５月 = gogatsu = May
６月 = rokugatsu = June
７月 = shichigatsu = July
８月 = hachigatsu = August
９月 = kugatsu = September
１０月 = juugatsu = October
１１月 = juuichigatsu = November
１２月 = juunigatsu = December

Every (毎) + Day / Week / Month / Year
毎日 = mainichi = every day
毎週 = maishuu = every week
毎月 = maitsuki = every month
毎年 = maitoshi = every year

Days of the Week
日曜日 = nichiyoubi = Sunday
月曜日 = getsuyoubi = Monday
火曜日 = kayoubi = Tuesday
水曜日 = suiyoubi = Wednesday
木曜日 = mokuyoubi = Thursday
金曜日 = kinyoubi = Friday
土曜日 = doyoubi = Saturday

Discounts + Deals
１０％オフ = ju ppaasento ofu = 10% off
１００円引き = hyaku en biki = 100 yen off
割引き = waribiki = discount
セール = seeru = sale
半額 = hangaku = half price
飲み放題 = nomihoudai = all-you-can-drink
食べ放題 = tabehoudai = all-you-can-eat
コース = koosu = (set) course (e.g. at a restaurant)

As long as you know the name of the product in question (e.g. 生ビール / nama biiru / "draft beer"), you can now read a huge percentage of the signs for sales, discounts, and promotional offers hanging up all over Japan.

All you've gotta do is mix and match. ^^

On the bottom right there, it says 年中無休 (nenjuu mukyuu), "all year no holidays." In other words, "open every day."

Maybe you should memorize that one, too ^_^.

Bonus Phrases:

Here's an example phrase for every one of those words listed above!

(I must admit--It took quite a bit longer than 15 minutes to get all of these ^_^).

６月から毎週金曜日生ビール半額！！
ろくがつ　から　まいしゅう　きんようび　なまビール　はんがく！！
Starting in June, every Friday draft beer is half price!
Literally: June + from + every week + Friday + draft beer + half-price

１月が一番寒いんだって。
いちがつ　が　いちばん　さむい　ん　だって。
Apparently January is the coldest month. // This says that January is the coldest month.
Literally: January + ga + number 1 + cold + n da tte

もう２月かぁ。
もう　にがつ　かぁ。
It's already February? // I can't believe it's already February.
Literally: already + February + kaa

３月って英語で何だっけ？
さんがつ　って　えいご　で　なん　だっけ？
What's sangatsu in English, again?
Literally: March + tte + English + de + what + is again?

４月が一番好き。
しがつ　が　いちばん　すき。
April is my favorite month.
Literally: April + ga + number one + liking

５月になったら旅行行こう。
ごがつ　に　なった　ら　りょこう　いこう。
Let's go on a trip in May.
Literally: May + ni + if/when becomes + trip + let's go

もうすぐ６月だね。
もうすぐ　ろくがつ　だ　ね。
It's almost June.
Literally: soon + June + is + ne

７月の予定は？
しちがつ　の　よてい　は？
Do you have any plans for July? // What are your plans for July?
Literally: July + no + plan + wa?

８月生まれだよね？
はちがつ　うまれ　だ　よ　ね？
You were born in August, right?
Literally: August + born + is + yo ne

９月は忙しくなりそう。
くがつ　は　いそがしく　なりそう。
It looks like September is going to be a busy month. // I think September is gonna be busy.
Literally: September + wa + busy + looks like will become

１０月５日は絶対空けといてね。
じゅうがつ　いつか　は　ぜったい　あけといて　ね。
Be sure not to make any plans on October 5th, OK?
Literally: October + 5th day + wa + absolutely + open + prepare + ne

１１月からは暇だよ。
じゅういちがつ　から　は　ひま　だ　よ。
I should be free from November.
Literally: November + from + wa + free/ not busy + is + yo.

沖縄の１２月は暖かいね。
おきなわ　の　じゅうにがつ　は　あたたかい　ね。
December is warm in Okinawa.
Literally: Okinawa + no + December + wa + warm + ne.

毎日運動してる。
まいにち　うんどう　してる。
I exercise every day.
Literally: every day + exercise + am doing

毎週金曜日は渋谷で飲んでる。
まいしゅう　きんようび　は　しぶや　で　のんでる。
I go drinking in Shibuya every Friday.
Literally: every week + Friday + wa + Shibuya + de + am drinking

電気代毎月いくらくらい？
でんきだい　まいつき　いくら　くらい？
About how much is your electricity bill every month?
Literally: electricity bill + every month + how much + about?

夏休みは毎年ハワイに行ってる。
なつやすみ　は　まいとし　ハワイ　に　いってる。
I go to Hawaii every summer for vacation. // I go to Hawaii for summer break every year.
Literally: summer vacation + wa + every year + Hawaii + ni + am going

日曜日の夜って憂鬱。
にちようび　の　よる　って　ゆううつ。
Sunday nights are depressing.
Literally: Sunday + no + night + tte + depression.

月曜日遊ぼう。
げつようび　あそぼう。
Let's hang out on Monday.
Literally: Monday + let's play

火曜日空いてる？
かようび　あいてる？
Are you free on Tuesday?
Literally: Tuesday + is empty?

水曜日から連休なんだ。
すいようび　から　れんきゅう　なん　だ。
I have three [four] days off in a row starting Wednesday.
Literally: Wednesday + from + consecutive holidays + nan + is
Note: It's actually saying something like, "From Wednesday, it's a consecutive holiday," but that sounds strange to me. So I just guessed and said 3 days.

木曜日のパーティー行く？
もくようび　の　パーティー　いく？
Are you going to the party on Thursday?
Literally: Thursday + no + party + go?

やっと金曜日だ！
やっと　きんようび　だ！
It's finally Friday!
Literally: at last + Friday + is!

土曜日だから混んでるね。
どようび　だから　こんでる　ね。
It's crowded because it's Saturday.
Literally: Saturday + is + because + is crowded + ne

この帽子１０％オフだった。
この　ぼうし　じゅっパーセント　オフ　だった。
I got this hat for 10% off. // This hat was 10% off.
Literally: this + hat + 10% + of + was

見て。１００円引きだって。 みて。　
ひゃくえん　びき　だって。
Look. It's 100 yen off.
Literally: look + 100 yen + pulling + is + tte

割引きしますよ！
わりびき　します　よ！
I'll give you a discount.
Literally: discount + (will) do

服のセール一緒に行こう。
ふく　の　セール　いっしょ　に　いこう。
Let's go to a clothes sale.
Literally: clothes + no + sale + together + let's go
Note: The listener would probably be like, "What clothes sale?" or "Where?"

半額だとつい買っちゃう。
はんがく　だと　つい　かっちゃう。
When something's half off, I can't help but buy it.
Literally: half-price + da to + end up + buy

飲み放題ありますか？
のみほうだい　あります　か？
Do you have any all-you-can-drink options?
Literally: all-you-can-drink + is/have?

カニの食べ放題行きたい。
カニ　の　たべほうだい　いきたい。
I want to go to an all-you-can-eat crab restaurant!
Literally: crab + no + all-you-can-eat + want to go

コースにしよう。
コース　に　しよう。
Let's get a (set) course.
Literally: course + ni + let's do

生ビールいくらですか？
なまビール　いくら　です　か？
How much is draft beer?
Literally: draft beer + how much + is + ka

ここは年中無休ですか？
ここは　ねんじゅうむきゅう　です　か？
Is this place open 365 days a year?
Literally: here + wa + all year no holidays + is + ka?