～ぶり: meaning and how to use it (JLPT N1 grammar)

At a glance

～ぶり follows a length of time and means "for the first time in (that long)". It is used when something happens again after a gap.

[Length of time] + ぶりに + Verb
[Length of time] + ぶりの + Noun
[Length of time] + ぶりだ／です

五年ごねんぶりに友達ともだちに会あいました。 I met my friend for the first time in five years.

ぶり attaches directly to a length of time. Politeness comes from the end of the sentence, not from ぶり.

Pattern	Example	Meaning
Time + ぶりに + verb	三年さんねんぶりに国くにへ帰かえった。	I went back to my country for the first time in three years.
Time + ぶりの + noun	十年じゅうねんぶりの再会さいかい	a reunion after ten years
Time + ぶりだ／です	日本にほんは二年にねんぶりです。	It's been two years since I was last in Japan.

Common time words: 三日みっか, 一週間いっしゅうかん, 半年はんとし, 一年いちねん, 十年じゅうねん.