～ぶり — First time in (三年ぶりに); manner (話しぶり) | JLPT N3 grammar

Meaning

Time span＋ぶり means something happens again after a gap of that length: 三年ぶりに会った — met for the first time in three years. The second use, Vます／N＋ぶり, describes someone's manner — how they do something, as seen from outside: 話しぶり, 仕事ぶり. It doesn't mean "for the first time ever" (初めて) or "every…" (ごとに).

Formation

Time span＋ぶりに＋V: 三年 → 三年ぶりに会った
Time span＋ぶりの＋N: 十年 → 十年ぶりの大雪
Time span＋ぶりだ／です: 何年 → 何年ぶりですか
Vます＋ぶり (manner): 話します → 話しぶり; 暮らします → 暮らしぶり
N＋ぶり (manner): 仕事 → 仕事ぶり; 生活 → 生活ぶり
Vます＋っぷり (casual, approving): 食べます → 食べっぷり; 飲みます → 飲みっぷり

When to use it

Where to use it: In stories and news about something returning after a gap — 五年ぶりの再会, 十年ぶりの大雪, 久しぶりに — and when judging how someone talks, works or lives — 落ち着いた話しぶり, 熱心な仕事ぶり.
Where not to use it: Not for the first time ever: "I saw snow for the first time" is 初めて雪を見た. Not after a point in time: "since 2020" is 2020年以来, never ✗ 2020年ぶり; ぶり follows the length of the gap.

Examples

20 sentences

五年ごねんぶりにピアノを弾いたらひいたら、指ゆびが全然ぜんぜん動かなかったうごかなかった。
I played the piano for the first time in five years, and my fingers just wouldn't move.
今日きょうは一週間いっしゅうかんぶりに晴れてはれて、気持ちきもちがいい。
It's sunny today for the first time in a week, and it feels great.
東京とうきょうで十年じゅうねんぶりの大雪おおゆきが降ったふった。
Tokyo had its first heavy snowfall in ten years.
久しひさしぶりに実家じっかに帰ってかえって、母ははの料理りょうりを食べたたべた。
I went back to my parents' place for the first time in ages and had my mom's cooking.
入院にゅういんしていた祖父そふが、三か月さんかげつぶりに家いえに戻ってもどってきた。
My grandfather, who had been in the hospital, came home for the first time in three months.
日本にほんに来るくるのは何年なんねんぶりですか？
How many years has it been since you last came to Japan?
彼かれの落ち着いたおちついた話しはなしぶりから、自信じしんが感じられたかんじられた。
His calm way of speaking showed his confidence.
田中たなかさんの仕事しごとぶりを、部長ぶちょうがとても褒めてほめていました。
The department head was full of praise for the way Tanaka works.

12 more examples

彼かれの食べたべっぷりを見るみると、こっちもお腹おなかが空くすく。
Watching him eat with such gusto makes me hungry too.
娘むすめのメールを読むよむと、楽しそうなたのしそうな暮らしくらしぶりがよく分かるわかる。
Reading my daughter's emails, I can really see what a fun life she's living.
半年はんとしぶりに美容院びよういんに行っていって、髪かみを短くみじかくした。
I went to the hair salon for the first time in six months and had my hair cut short.
大雨おおあめで止まってとまっていた電車でんしゃが、二日ふつかぶりに動き出したうごきだした。
The trains that had been stopped by heavy rain started running again for the first time in two days.
十年じゅうねんぶりの同窓会どうそうかい、行くいく？
Are you going to the reunion? It's the first one in ten years.
この町まちで、五十年ごじゅうねんぶりのお祭りおまつりが開かれたひらかれた。
A festival was held in this town for the first time in fifty years.
友達ともだちとカラオケなんて、何年なんねんぶりだろう。
Karaoke with friends — how many years has it been?
海外かいがいに行くいくのは七年ななねんぶりなので、少しすこし緊張してきんちょうしています。
It's my first trip abroad in seven years, so I'm a little nervous.
試験しけんに落ちたおちた兄あにの落ち込みおちこみぶりは、見てみていられなかった。
Seeing how crushed my brother was after failing the exam was hard to watch.
あの店みせは、毎朝まいあさ行列ぎょうれつができるほどの人気にんきぶりだ。
That shop is so popular that a line forms every morning.
息子むすこの成長せいちょうぶりに、親戚しんせきはみんな驚いておどろいていた。
All our relatives were amazed at how much my son had grown.
負けまけはしたが、選手たちせんしゅたちの戦いたたかいっぷりは見事だったみごとだった。
They may have lost, but the way the players fought was magnificent.

Important notes

Time span＋ぶり implies the gap feels long to the speaker: 二日ぶりのお風呂 works after two days of camping. The most common word with it is 久しぶり.
In the "manner" sense ぶり usually evaluates other people (彼の話しぶり, 仕事ぶりを評価する); 食べっぷり and 飲みっぷり are casual praise for a hearty appetite.
初めて is the first time ever; ぶり is again after a gap: 初めて富士山に登った = climbed Fuji for the first time, 十年ぶりに富士山に登った = climbed it again after ten years.

Common mistakes

✗ 2020年ぶりに日本へ行った → ✓ 三年ぶりに日本へ行った — ぶり follows the length of the gap, not a date.
✗ 昨日、生まれて二十年ぶりに雪を見た → ✓ 昨日、生まれて初めて雪を見た — ぶり means "again after a gap"; "for the first time in my life" is 初めて.
✗ 卒業ぶりに彼に会っていない → ✓ 卒業以来彼に会っていない — "haven't … ever since" is 以来; ぶりに is followed by what finally happened.

Check yourself

Pick the translation of each sentence. The wrong options translate similar patterns, so watch the grammar rather than the words.

Sentence 1: 彼かれの食べたべっぷりを見るみると、こっちもお腹おなかが空くすく。 With every performance, his acting got better and better.Watching him eat with such gusto makes me hungry too.I haven't seen him once since graduation.
Sentence 2: 友達ともだちとカラオケなんて、何年なんねんぶりだろう。 Karaoke with friends — how many years has it been?I've lived in this apartment ever since I came to Japan.Please take this medicine every eight hours.
Sentence 3: 負けまけはしたが、選手たちせんしゅたちの戦いたたかいっぷりは見事だったみごとだった。 Since his operation, my grandfather hasn't had a single drop of alcohol.They may have lost, but the way the players fought was magnificent.At this restaurant the menu changes every season.