Describe the behaviour, not the cause
The instinct is to explain what you think is wrong, which requires technical vocabulary you probably do not have and is frequently a wrong diagnosis anyway.
What a technician wants is the behaviour and its conditions: what it does, when it started, and what makes it happen. That is describable with ordinary vocabulary and is far more useful to them.
It is also easier. Saying that it stops working when it gets warm needs no specialist words at all.
Describing common faults
These cover most of what goes wrong with everyday items, and they are deliberately non-technical. Each describes a behaviour rather than a cause.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 電源が入りません。 | Dengen ga hairimasen. | It will not turn on. |
| 途中で止まってしまいます。 | Tochū de tomatte shimaimasu. | It stops partway through. |
| 変な音がします。 | Hen na oto ga shimasu. | It makes a strange noise. |
| 水が漏れています。 | Mizu ga morete imasu. | It is leaking water. |
| 画面が映らなくなりました。 | Gamen ga utsuranaku narimashita. | The screen has stopped displaying. |
| 落としてから調子が悪いです。 | Otoshite kara chōshi ga warui desu. | It has been faulty since I dropped it. |
The last one is worth saying even though it is an admission. Knowing that it was dropped changes the diagnosis substantially.
Adding the conditions
A fault that happens sometimes is much harder to diagnose than one that happens always, so the conditions are the most valuable information you can give.
Three details cover most cases: when it started, how often it happens, and what makes it happen.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 先週から、こうなりました。 | Senshū kara, kō narimashita. | It has been like this since last week. |
| たまにしか起きません。 | Tama ni shika okimasen. | It only happens occasionally. |
| 熱くなると、止まります。 | Atsuku naru to, tomarimasu. | When it gets hot, it stops. |
| 使い始めてすぐです。 | Tsukaihajimete sugu desu. | It happens right after I start using it. |
| いつもではありません。 | Itsumo de wa arimasen. | It is not every time. |
| 再現できます。見ますか。 | Saigen dekimasu. Mimasu ka. | I can reproduce it. Shall I show you? |
Cost and time
The commercial part of the conversation is predictable and worth handling carefully, because inspection fees and open-ended estimates are where surprises come from.
Two questions cover most of it: what will it cost, and what happens if it turns out to cost more.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 見積もりをお願いできますか。 | Mitsumori o onegai dekimasu ka. | Could I have an estimate? |
| 見てもらうだけで料金はかかりますか。 | Mite morau dake de ryōkin wa kakarimasu ka. | Is there a charge just for inspection? |
| どのくらいかかりますか。 | Dono kurai kakarimasu ka. | How long will it take? |
| 金額が変わる場合は、連絡をお願いします。 | Kingaku ga kawaru baai wa, renraku o onegai shimasu. | Please contact me if the price changes. |
| 保証は使えますか。 | Hoshō wa tsukaemasu ka. | Can the warranty be used? |
| 直らなかった場合はどうなりますか。 | Naoranakatta baai wa dō narimasu ka. | What happens if it cannot be fixed? |
Asking to be contacted if the price changes is the single most useful sentence here. It is a standard arrangement and shops expect the request.
Repair or replace
For many items the honest answer is that repair is not worth it, and shops will usually say so. Asking directly saves both of you time and is not taken as a challenge.
The economics differ by item, and it is worth knowing roughly where the line falls before you go.
| Item | Usually worth repairing? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Bicycle | Yes | Cheap and quick |
| Shoes | Yes | Resoling is common |
| Phone screen | Sometimes | Compare with a used handset |
| Older laptop | Rarely | Parts often unavailable |
| Large appliance | Sometimes | Depends on age |
| Cheap appliance | Rarely | Often cheaper to replace |
Ask the shop directly whether it is worth it. In most cases they will tell you plainly, including when the answer costs them the job.
Practising the diagnostic conversation
The difficult part of this is not the vocabulary but the follow-up. You describe the fault in your prepared sentence, and then the technician asks three questions you did not anticipate, which is where the conversation stalls.
That is exactly what a roleplay supplies. Describing a fault to an AI Sensei in Unihongo's immersive 3D classroom and taking the diagnostic questions rehearses the unpredictable half, and the session report shows which answers you could not build.
Keep the fallbacks ready as well. Offering to demonstrate, asking for it in writing, and asking to be contacted before extra work all convert a difficult conversation into a manageable one.
Take a photo or a video of the fault before you go. If it is intermittent, that recording may be the only evidence the shop gets.