ぶりに

For the First Time in

Level 2Sounds Like burini

Use ぶりに to say 'for the first time in [time period].' It marks the moment an action occurs after a long break.

How It Works

The pattern ぶりに (Kanji: 振り) is the standard way to express 'after a lapse of' or 'for the first time in X time.'

1. Usage and Meaning:
It is used when an action that used to happen occurs again after a period of inactivity. While often used for long periods like ３年（さんねん） or １０年（じゅうねん）, it is ultimately subjective. If a smoker feels 5 hours is a long time, they can say ５時間ぶりに（ごじかんぶりに）.

2. Grammatical Forms:

  • Duration + ぶりに + Verb: Used as an adverb. (e.g., ５年ぶりに会う - Meeting for the first time in 5 years).
  • Duration + ぶりの + Noun: Used to modify a noun. (e.g., １０年ぶりの優勝 - A victory for the first time in 10 years).
  • Duration + ぶりだ/です: Used at the end of a sentence. (e.g., 久しぶりです - It's been a long time).

3. Nuance:
It implies a notable or significant 'breaking of the silence.' While often positive, it can also be used for neutral or negative events that are significant due to their absence, such as a recession or a natural disaster occurring after a long gap. It cannot be used with negative verbs to say you haven't done something; it must be followed by the action that actually happened.

4. Related Usage (Manner):
When attached to the ます form of a verb (stem), 〜ぶり can also mean 'the manner of' or 'the way of' doing something (e.g., 話しぶり（はなしぶり） - way of talking). A common variation is 〜っぷり, which is used for emphasis or to describe the vigor of an action (e.g., 食べっぷり（たべっぷり） - the hearty way someone eats).

Examples (4)

  1. １０年ぶりに故郷へ帰りました。

    I returned to my hometown for the first time in 10 years.

    Word by Word: 10 years lapse-in hometown to returned.

    Here, ぶりに marks the 10-year gap since the speaker last visited their hometown.

  2. 昨日は一週間ぶりに雨が降った。

    Yesterday it rained for the first time in a week.

    Word by Word: Yesterday one week lapse-in rain fell.

    This shows that there was no rain for exactly one week until yesterday.

  3. 久しぶりに日本料理を食べました。

    I ate Japanese food for the first time in a long while.

    Word by Word: Long time lapse-in Japanese food ate.

    久しぶり（ひさしぶり） is a very common set phrase using this pattern to mean 'a long time.'

  4. これは５年ぶりの優勝です！

    This is a victory for the first time in five years!

    Word by Word: This 5 years lapse-of victory is.

    Using ぶりの allows the time duration to modify the noun 'victory' (優勝).

Common Mistakes

  • Using ぶりに with a negative verb to express duration of inactivity.

    ２年ぶりにテニスをしませんでした。
    ２年間テニスをしていません。

    ぶりに must be followed by an affirmative action that breaks the period of time. To say 'I haven't done X for 2 years,' use the duration + ていない.

  • Attaching ぶりに to a specific point in time (like a year) instead of a duration.

    ２０２０年ぶりに日本へ行きました。
    ４年ぶりに日本へ行きました。

    ぶりに requires a duration (number of years/days). If you want to use a specific year, you would use 以来 (since).

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

ぶりにLevel 2For the First Time in

Learn This First

To understand 'ぶりに', you need to be familiar with time duration counters (like years, months, or days) which serve as the base for the expression. Additionally, understanding the basic 'に' particle and the past tense 'た form' is necessary to construct complete sentences like '5年ぶりに会った' (Met for the first time in 5 years).

Words in This Pattern

振り