〜ぶり

Meaning

〜ぶり has two main uses: (1) When used with time nouns, it indicates how much time has passed since something last occurred (e.g., '5 years ぶり' = for the first time in 5 years). (2) When used with verb stems in masu-form, it describes the manner, state, or characteristic way something is done. The formation is: noun + ぶり or verb stem (masu-form) + ぶり.

Formation

Examples

1. 2年ぶり
   After an interval of 2 years

2. 10時間ぶり
   After an interval of 10 hours

3. 今年の夏休み、日本に留学しているラジさんは5年ぶりにインドに戻った。
   This summer break, Raj, who is studying abroad in Japan, returned to India for the first time in 5 years.

4. 山田さんは働きぶりがとてもよく、社長に褒められました。
   Yamada was praised by the company president for his excellent work manner.

5. 彼の話しぶりが気に入らない。
   I don't like the way he speaks.

Summary

• Use with time nouns to express elapsed time: 'X time + ぶり' = the first time in X time
• Use with verb stems to describe manner/state/style: 'verb + ぶり' = the way/manner of doing something
• Common in both formal and informal contexts when describing both time intervals and characteristic behaviors or appearances