JLPT N3 Grammar: ぶりに (Buri ni)

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JLPT N3 Grammar: ぶりに (Buri ni)
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

‘For the first time in [period of time]’ or ‘After an interval of [period of time].’

🎯 Primary Function

To emphasize that an action is occurring for the first time after a specific duration has passed since the previous occurrence.

📋 Grammar Structure

Time Duration + ぶりに + Verb
N/A (Primarily follows time nouns)
N/A (Primarily follows time nouns)
N/A

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Used in formal letters and business greetings, particularly the phrase ‘Gobusata shite orimasu’ (long time no see).

😊 Informal Situations

Extremely common in daily conversation between friends and family (e.g., ‘Hisashiburi!’).

✍️ Written Language

Commonly found in journals, blog posts, and personal correspondence.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Very natural and frequently used to express nostalgia or surprise.

💡 Common Applications

Reunions
Used when meeting someone after a significant gap in time.
Example: 10年ぶりに親友に会う。
Resuming Activities
Used when performing an action that you haven’t done for a while.
Example: 久しぶりに泳いだ。
Environmental Events
Used to describe weather or natural occurrences that haven’t happened in a while.
Example: 久しぶりの快晴だ。
📊
Frequency
High
🎚️
Difficulty
N3 (Intermediate)
Tag:

Related Kanji

JLPT N3 Kanji List

Related Vocabulary

JLPT N3 Vocabulary List
Example Sentences
Example #1
3年ぶりに日本へ行きます。
Furigana: 3ねんぶりににほんへいきます。
Romaji: San-nen buri ni Nihon e ikimasu.
English: I am going to Japan for the first time in three years.
Example #2
久しぶりに友達に会いました。
Furigana: ひさしぶりにともだちにあいました。
Romaji: Hisashiburi ni tomodachi ni aimashita.
English: I met my friend after a long time.
Example #3
10年ぶりにテニスをしました。
Furigana: 10ねんぶりにテニスをしました。
Romaji: Ju-nen buri ni tenisu o shimashita.
English: I played tennis for the first time in ten years.
Example #4
今日は1ヶ月ぶりに雨が降りました。
Furigana: きょうは1かげつぶりにあめがふりました。
Romaji: Kyou wa ikkagetsu buri ni ame ga furimashita.
English: It rained today for the first time in a month.
Example #5
数年ぶりに故郷に帰りました。
Furigana: すうねんぶりにこきょうにかえりました。
Romaji: Suunen buri ni kokyou ni kaerimashita.
English: I returned to my hometown for the first time in several years.
Example #6
歌手は5年ぶりに新しいアルバムを出しました。
Furigana: かしゅは5ねんぶりにあたらしいアルバムをだしました。
Romaji: Kashu wa go-nen buri ni atarashii arubamu o dashimashita.
English: The singer released a new album after five years.
Example #7
久しぶりに母の料理を食べました。
Furigana: ひさしぶりにははのりょうりをたべました。
Romaji: Hisashiburi ni haha no ryouri o tabemashita.
English: I ate my mother’s cooking for the first time in a long while.
Example #8
彼は2年ぶりにマラソンに参加しました。
Furigana: かれは2ねんぶりにマラソンにさんかしました。
Romaji: Kare wa ni-nen buri ni marason ni sanka shimashita.
English: He participated in a marathon for the first time in two years.
Example #9
久しぶりに映画館で映画を見ました。
Furigana: ひさしぶりにえいがかんえいがをみました。
Romaji: Hisashiburi ni eigakan de eiga o mimashita.
English: I saw a movie at the theater for the first time in ages.
Example #10
私たちは20年ぶりに再会しました。
Furigana: わたしたちは20ねんぶりにさいかいしました。
Romaji: Watashitachi wa nijuu-nen buri ni saikai shimashita.
English: We reunited after twenty years.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Duration Requirement
It must follow a noun that expresses a duration of time or the word ‘hisashi’ (long time).
Example: 10年ぶりに… (10 years), 久しぶりに… (A long time)
Action Resumption
The sentence focuses on the fact that the action is happening *now* or *again*.
Example: 3年ぶりに泳ぐ。 (I haven’t swum for 3 years, but I am swimming now.)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ 10年間で日本に来ました。 (To mean for the first time in 10 years)
✅ 10年ぶりに日本に来ました。
‘Buri ni’ is used for actions that actually happen after a gap, not for the duration of the state itself.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral to Polite. The root ‘buri’ is standard, while ‘Hisashiburi’ is the set phrase for ‘Long time no see.’
Social Situations: Often used at the beginning of conversations to acknowledge a gap in communication.
Regional Variations: Standard across Japan.

🔍 Subtle Differences

ぶりに vs 以来 (irai)
‘Buri ni’ focuses on the action happening *after* the gap; ‘Irai’ focuses on the state continuing *since* a certain point.
When to use: Use ‘buri ni’ for reunions or restarts. Use ‘irai’ for continuous states since an event.

📝 Conjugation Notes

ぶりに (buri ni) acts as an adverb. To use it as a noun modifier, use ぶりの (buri no), such as ’10-nen buri no kisei’ (Returning home for the first time in 10 years).

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Accent falls slightly on the ‘bu’ in ‘buri’.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of ‘buri’ as a ‘bridge’ across a gap of time. You are crossing the bridge to do the action again.

Other Grammar

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