dendouashisutojitensha wa takai.

topic particle

Breakdown of dendouashisutojitensha wa takai.

• 高たかい: expensive
• 電動でんどうアシスト自転車じてんしゃ: an electric-assist bicycle

Questions & Answers about dendouashisutojitensha wa takai.

How do you read 電動アシスト自転車?

It is commonly read でんどうアシストじてんしゃ.

Breakdown:

• 電動 = でんどう = electric-powered
• アシスト = assist
• 自転車 = じてんしゃ = bicycle

So the whole noun means an electric-assist bicycle or electric bicycle.

Why is は pronounced wa here?

When は is used as a particle, it is pronounced wa, not ha.

So in this sentence:

• written: 電動アシスト自転車 は 高い。
• pronounced: でんどうアシストじてんしゃ は たかい。

This is one of the first pronunciation exceptions learners meet in Japanese.

What does the particle は do in this sentence?

は marks the topic of the sentence.

So 電動アシスト自転車は高い means something like:

• As for electric-assist bicycles, they are expensive
• or more naturally, Electric-assist bicycles are expensive

It tells the listener what the sentence is about, and then 高い gives information about that topic.