# ぶる / ぶって / ぶった: assuming the air of; behaving like; to pretend / act like ~ > Learn how to use ぶる・ぶって・ぶった, a JLPT N1 grammar pattern meaning 'assuming the air of; acting like', with structure, nuance, examples, mistakes, and comparisons. JLPT level: N1 · Updated: 2026-05-18 · Canonical: https://hane-app.com/blog/n1-buru-butte-butta/ **ぶる / ぶって / ぶった** means **assuming the air of; behaving like; to pretend / act like ~**. It is a **JLPT N1** Japanese grammar pattern used to describe someone putting on airs, acting as if they possess a certain quality, or behaving in an affected way. This grammar point appears in formal speech, opinion pieces, and literary passages. If you want to express that someone is posturing or feigning a trait—rather than naturally having it—**ぶる / ぶって / ぶった** adds a sharp, critical nuance to your Japanese.

When you say 大人(おとな)ぶる you aren’t just saying “act like an adult”—you’re saying they’re putting on airs.

## What does ぶる / ぶって / ぶった mean? Use **ぶる / ぶって / ぶった** when you want to express that someone is pretending to be or acting as if they possess a certain trait, attitude, or role, often with a negative or mocking undertone. Natural translations include: - to put on airs of being… - behaving as if (they were)… - to act like a… The best translation depends on the context, but the core idea is always an affected, often insincere, display of a quality. ## How to form ぶる / ぶって / ぶった **ぶる** behaves like a regular godan verb. It attaches to nouns, na‑adjective stems, and sometimes i‑adjective stems.

noun / na-adj stem

＋

ぶる

大人(おとな)＋ぶる　→　大人(おとな)ぶる
上品(じょうぼん)＋ぶる　→　上品(じょうひん)ぶる

i-adj stem

＋

ぶる

(less common; がる is preferred for emotions)

Common conjugations: - ぶる (dictionary form) - ぶって (te‑form) - ぶった (past) - ぶっている (progressive; “is acting like…”) - ぶらない (negative) In JLPT questions, the wrong answer choices often use similar-looking suffixes like がる or びる, so pay attention to the nuance each one carries.

💡 Attach ぶる to nouns and na‑adjective stems for the most natural usage. When expressing emotional states (sad, lonely, happy), がる is the standard choice, not ぶる.

## When is ぶる / ぶって / ぶった used? Use **ぶる / ぶって / ぶった** in situations like: - criticizing someone for posturing or acting superior - describing an artificial, self‑conscious manner - pointing out insincerity or affectation - analysing characters in novels or articles Tone and register: - neutral to formal; commonly found in writing and analytical speech - often carries irony or mild contempt - appears in JLPT N1 reading comprehension and grammar sections ## ぶる / ぶって / ぶった example sentences

彼(かれ)はいつも大（おとなぶっている。

He is always acting like a grown-up / putting on airs of adulthood.

affectation

彼（かの）女（じょは上（じょう）品（ひんぶって話（はなす。

She speaks in a refined way (pretending to be elegant).

behaviour

学（がく）者（しゃぶったことを言（いうね。

You say things that make you sound like a scholar, huh.

putting on airs

知（しったかぶって説（せつ）明（めいしないで。

Don’t explain things as if you know everything.

know‑it‑all attitude

良（よい人（ひとぶって裏（うらで悪（わるくちを言（いう。

They act like a good person but talk behind people’s backs.

hypocrisy

あの俳（はい）優（ゆうはよく孤（こ）独（どくの芸（げい）術（じゅつ）家（かぶる。

That actor often acts like a lonely artist.

posturing

After reading each sentence, ask what job **ぶる / ぶって / ぶった** is doing: it always signals an affected, self‑conscious display of a trait. That makes the nuance easier to remember than a one‑word translation. ## Nuance of ぶる / ぶって / ぶった The key nuance is **affected behaviour—someone is consciously or unconsciously putting on an act, adopting a persona they don’t genuinely possess**. This matters because many learners equate ぶる with “pretend” in a neutral sense, but ぶる almost always carries a critical or mocking tone. If you want to say “pretend to be a doctor” in a neutral context, you would use 医者(いしゃ)のふりをする, not 医者(いしゃ)ぶる. The suffix ぶる implies you see through the act and are pointing it out, often with a hint of ridicule. In the progressive form (ぶっている), the nuance becomes “is currently acting like… (and it’s a bit much)”. Compared to the similar suffix びる (see the next section), ぶる is about conscious, often pretentious posturing, whereas びる often describes a natural appearance or resemblance. ## ぶる / ぶって / ぶった vs ぶり / っぷり Both **ぶる / ぶって / ぶった** and **ぶり / っぷり** involve how something is perceived, but they operate on different layers.

ぶる / ぶって / ぶった

assume the air of; act like

When the speaker wants to criticise an artificial display

上（じょう）品（ひんぶって話（はなす

talks in an affectedly refined way

ぶり / っぷり

manner; style; way of doing

Describing how someone naturally does something, without judgement

話（はなしぶりが大（おとなしい

the way they speak is gentle (just a description)

Quick contrast: - 上品(じょうひん)ぶって話す(はなす) → “speaking in a pretended refined manner” (you sense affectation) - 上品(じょうひん)な話し(はなし)ぶり → “a refined way of speaking” (no negative judgement) If both translations seem possible, check whether the sentence judges the behaviour or merely describes it. That decision tells you which suffix is appropriate. ## Common mistakes with ぶる / ぶって / ぶった Watch out for these mistakes:

❌ 悲（かなしぶって泣（ないた

Using ぶる for genuine emotions sounds unnatural—がる is the standard suffix for third‑person emotional states.

✅ 悲（かなしがって泣（ないた

❌ 医（い）者（しゃぶって患（かん）者（じゃを診（みた

For a neutral “pretend” in a factual description, ふりをする is the better choice.

✅ 医（い）者（しゃのふりをして患（かん）者（じゃを診（みた

❌ 彼（かれは大（おとなしく大（おとなぶる

Don’t double up with adverbs that already soften the meaning. ぶる is direct and critical—adding 大人しく(おとなしく) contradicts the nuance.

✅ 彼（かれは大（おとなぶっている

A helpful practice method is to write one sentence with **ぶる / ぶって / ぶった**, then rewrite it with a neutral alternative like **ふりをする**. If the tone shifts from mocking to descriptive, explain that difference in your own words. ## Is ぶる / ぶって / ぶった on the JLPT?

Yes — **ぶる / ぶって / ぶった** is commonly taught as **JLPT N1** grammar.

• recognise it in reading

• understand its critical nuance in context

• choose it over similar‑looking suffixes like がる or びる

For test preparation, study the grammar point in full sentences. JLPT N1 questions often present a character’s internal monologue or a critical description, where ぶる fits perfectly. Practise spotting the negative tone that sets it apart from neutral alternatives. ## Practice questions for ぶる / ぶって / ぶった

1 Use ぶっている in a sentence about someone who constantly acts wise beyond their years. affectation

2 Write a short dialogue where one person accuses another of 上品(じょうひん)ぶっている. conversational

3 Compare ぶる with ふりをする in your own example, and explain why the nuance differs. comparison

4 Describe a movie character using ぶる to highlight their insincerity. story

Keep your first sentences simple. Once the structure feels natural, add context that makes the critical nuance clear—mention what the character is hiding or why the speaker is annoyed. ## Learning path for ぶる / ぶって / ぶった To learn **ぶる / ぶって / ぶった** efficiently, start with its formation, then compare it with similar patterns, and finally practice in context.

Make sure you can conjugate ぶる (ぶって、ぶった、ぶっている) without looking at a chart.

Compare it with ぶり / っぷり. These patterns are close enough that choosing between them helps you understand the nuance.

Identify 3‑4 real‑world situations where ぶる would be appropriate (on social media, describing a coworker, etc.) and write one sentence for each.

Finally, build a short paragraph mixing ぶる and neutral descriptions (e.g., ふりをする、がる) so you internalise when the critical edge is needed.

## Related grammar to review next - [ぶり / っぷり](/blog/n1-buri-ppuri/) — because it also deals with manner and appearance, but without the pretence - [だの～だの](/blog/n1-dano-dano/) — because it shares the register of conversational criticism, listing affected behaviour - [びる / びて / びた](/blog/n1-biru-bite-bita/) — because it creates similar “seeming” meanings but with a more natural, inherent flavour (e.g. 大人びる(おとなびる) “looks grown‑up” not “acts grown‑up”) - [だに～だにしない](/blog/n1-dani-dani-shinai/) — because it shares the critical, emphatic register often found in formal analysis ## Learn ぶる / ぶって / ぶった with Hane If you want to review **ぶる / ぶって / ぶった** together with the related patterns above, Hane helps you practice Japanese in short, focused sessions. Browse more lessons here: - [All grammar lessons](/blog/) - [JLPT N1 grammar lessons](/blog/n1/)