(かさ)

umbrella

(かりる)

to borrow

(さーびす)

service

(ひろがる)

to spread

(えき)

station

(こんびに)

convenience store

(とうきょう)

Tokyo

(おおさか)

Osaka

(つかう)

to use

(きゅうに)

suddenly

(あめ)

rain

(ふる)

to fall (rain, snow)

(みせ)

shop, store

(そして)

and; and then

(つぎ)

next

(ひ)

day

(ちかく)

nearby

(かえす)

to return (something); to give back

(つかいかた)

how to use; usage

(かんたん)

simple / easy

(すまほ)

smartphone

(あぷり)

app / application

(ばんごう)

number

(よむ)

to read

(すると)

then; thereupon

(とる)

to take

(おかね)

money

(いちにち)

one day

(ひと)

person / people

(ふえる)

to increase; to grow

(びにーるがさ)

cheap plastic umbrella

(かう)

to buy

(すくない)

few, scarce

(ごみ)

trash, garbage

(かいしゃ)

company

(これから)

from now on

(もっと)

more / further

(ばしょ)

place

(ふやす)

to increase (something)

(いう)

to say

can do ..., to be able to ...

Verb dictionary form + ことができる expresses ability or possibility. More formal than the potential verb form. Common in written Japanese and announcements.

is doing, has been doing (ongoing state/action)

Expresses a continuing action or resulting state. Formed with て-form + いる. Can describe an action in progress or a state resulting from a past change.

when ~

Indicates the time when something happened — when he was in junior high school.

and / by doing (means)

The te-form connects clauses; here it expresses the means by which the teacher creates problems (by using AI).

about ~ / approximately ~

Indicates approximate quantity. About 230mm of rain falls normally.

to become (い-adjective)

Expresses a change of state for い-adjectives. Drop the final い and add くなる. Indicates something has changed or will change to a new state.

want to ~

Verb stem + たい to express desire.

傘を借りるサービスが広がる

Umbrella-rental services are spreading

駅やコンビニで、傘を借りることができるサービスが広がっています。

Services that let you borrow an umbrella at stations and convenience stores are spreading.

東京や大阪の駅で、このサービスが使えます。

You can use this service at stations in Tokyo and Osaka.

急に雨が降ったとき、お店で傘を借ります。

When it suddenly starts to rain, you borrow an umbrella at a shop.

そして、次の日に近くのお店に返します。

Then, the next day, you return it to a nearby shop.

使い方は簡単です。

It is easy to use.

スマホでアプリを使って、番号を読みます。

You use an app on your smartphone and scan the number.

すると、傘を取ることができます。

Then you can take an umbrella.

お金は一日に百四十円ぐらいです。

The cost is about 140 yen a day.

このサービスを使う人が増えています。

The number of people using this service is increasing.

ビニール傘を買う人が少なくなりました。

Fewer people now buy cheap plastic umbrellas.

ごみも少なくなります。

The amount of rubbish also goes down.

会社は、これからもっと場所を増やしたいと言っています。

The company says it wants to add even more locations from now on.