ぶる

Level

JLPT N1

Ratings

5/5

Quizzes Mastered

0/10

ぶる

buruAdjectival, Descriptions

Yuzuo Chan

11.06.2025

Mark as learned

Collect

Mark as learned

Collect

Meaning

To put on airs and act as if one were A (when one is not, or is overdoing it); to act pretentiously like A.

Conjugation

(A)N / Adjな(語幹ごかん) + ぶる/ぶって/ぶった/ぶらない (godan verb; 偉えらい→偉えらぶる is also possible)

Examples

Show translation

彼かれはいつも偉えらぶって、人ひとの意見いけんを聞きかない。

まだ子供こどもなのに、大人おとなぶった話はなし方かたをする。

あの先生せんせいは親切しんせつぶっているが、本当ほんとうはとても厳きびしい。

彼女かのじょは上品じょうひんぶって、ケーキを小ちいさく切きって食たべている。

王様おうさまぶった態度たいどはやめなさい。

私わたしは別べつにいい人ひとぶっているわけじゃないよ。

grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.title

grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.wrong: 王様おうさま振ぶった態度たいど

grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.correct: 王様おうさまぶった態度たいど

grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.why: The suffix ぶる is normally written in hiragana in modern Japanese. Although kanji spellings using 振る can occur, 王様おうさまぶった態度たいど is the standard and recommended spelling for learners.

grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.wrong: 優やさしいぶる

grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.correct: 優やさしいふりをする

grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.why: ぶる attaches to nouns, na-adjective stems, and a limited number of established i-adjective stems, such as 偉えらぶる. It does not attach directly to the full dictionary form of an i-adjective. For 優やさしい, use 優やさしいふりをする instead.

grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.wrong: 先生せんせいは親切しんせつぶっていて、いつも本当ほんとうに助たすけてくれる。

grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.correct: 先生せんせいは親切しんせつで、いつも本当ほんとうに助たすけてくれる。

grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.why: ぶる implies an affected or put-on attitude and usually criticizes it. Do not use it to describe sincere, positive behaviour; use the plain adjective instead.

Key points

Attaches to nouns and na-adjective stems (大人おとなぶる, 上品じょうひんぶる, 親切しんせつぶる) and to a few i-adjective stems (偉えらぶる). It describes behaviour that looks affected or pretentious, so it usually carries criticism or mild mockery and is more often used about others than about oneself.

Unlike the relatively neutral ～ふりをする ('pretend to'), ぶる emphasizes an affected or pretentious attitude. It does not necessarily mean that the person lacks the identity or quality in question. For example, 医者いしゃぶる can describe someone pretending to be a doctor, but it can also describe an actual doctor who ostentatiously acts like one.

Practise this pattern with a free account