〜ぶり
ぶり
suffix
for the first time in (a span of time)
1.
for the first time in; after an interval of
Suffix attached to a time expression to say that something has happened for the first time after that span. Highlights the gap between the previous occurrence and the present.
三年ぶりに会った。
We met for the first time in three years.
一週間ぶりの晴れだ。
It's the first sunny day in a week.
半年ぶりに実家に帰って、家族みんなで食事をした。
I went home for the first time in half a year, and the whole family had a meal together.
Attaches directly to a duration (三年ぶり, 一週間ぶり). The phrase 〜ぶりに modifies a verb; 〜ぶりの modifies a following noun.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 久しぶり: long time no see (idiomatic; lit. "for the first time in a long while")
- 三年ぶりに会う: meet for the first time in three years
- 一週間ぶりの晴れ: the first sunny day in a week
- 何年ぶりだろう: how many years has it been?
USAGE:
Use 〜ぶり when emphasizing the gap; use 〜以来 when emphasizing the starting point (去年以来 since last year). Cannot be used for spans shorter than about a day in normal speech.