【づくり, 離れ, 持ち】3 Useful Japanese Suffixes

Let’s look at 3 suffixes that are commonly used in daily life.

〜作り／造り（づくり）

Noun + づくり

The difference between 作り and 造り：
作り = used to create small scale or abstract intangibles
造り = used to create large scale, industrial or tangible objects

The original reading is “つくり” but it becomes voiced “づくり” when used as a suffix.

Indicates the creation of something

●あの俳優はいゆうは、1年いちねんかけて役作やくづくりをしたそうだ。
/ano haiyuu wa, ichinen kakete yaku-zukuri o shita sou da./
Apparently, the actor spent a year working on the role.

●明日あしたから旅行りょこうなので、今いまから荷造にづくりをします。
/ashita kara ryokoo nanode, ima kara ni-zukuri o shimasu./
I start my trip tomorrow, so I’m going to start packing now.

Describes something that is made out of something

●レンガ造づくりの家いえに住すんでみたい。
/renga-zukuri no ie ni sunde mitai./
I would like to live in a brick-built house.

●誕生日たんじょうびケーキを手作てづくりしました。
/tanjoobi keeki o te-zukuri shimashita./
I made my own birthday cake.

〜離れ（ばなれ）

Noun + ばなれ

The original reading is “はなれ” but it becomes voiced “ばなれ” when used as a suffix.

Creates nouns that indicate the appearance of being far apart in nature or ability

●鈴木すずきさんは、金銭感覚きんせんかんかくが世間離せけんばなれしている。
/suzuki san wa, kinsen-kankaku ga seken-banare shiteiru./
The way Suzuki-san uses money is far from the real world.

●それは、かなり現実離げんじつばなれしたアイデアだと思おもいます。
/sore wa, kanari genjitsu-banare shita aidea da to omoimasu./
I think that is a rather unrealistic idea.

Creates nouns to indicate a state of waning interest

●日本にほんでは、若者わかものの日本酒にほんしゅ離ばなれが進すすんでいるそうだ。
/nihon de wa, wakamono no nihonshu-banare ga susunde iru sou da./
It is said that young people in Japan are increasingly turning away from sake.

●動画どうがを見みるプラットフォームとしてYouTubeが主流しゅりゅうになり、人々ひとびとのテレビ離ばなれが進すすんだ。
/dooga o miru purattofoomu toshite yuuchuubu ga shuryuu ni nari, hitobito no terebi-banare ga susunda./
YouTube has become the dominant platform for watching videos and people have moved away from television.

Creates nouns that indicate a loss of dependence

●あの人ひとはまだ親離おやばなれできていないようだ。
/ano hito wa mada oya-banare dekite inai you da./
That person doesn’t seem to be able to be independent from his parents yet.

●娘むすめは一歳半いっさいはんまで乳離ちばなれできなかった。
/musume wa issai-han made chi-banare dekinakatta./
My daughter was not weaned until she was one and a half years old.

〜持ち（もち）

Noun + もち

Indicates possession or the person who owns it

●めちゃめちゃ金持かねもちの友達ともだちがいます。
/mechamecha kane-mochi no tomodachi ga imasu./
I have a friend who is super rich.

●そんなに重おもいものを持もち上あげられるなんて、力持ちからもちですね！
/sonna ni omoi mono o mochiagerareru nante, chikara-mochi desu ne!/
You are very strong to be able to lift something so heavy!

Indicates that something is maintained

●このスイーツは日持ひもちしないので早はやめに食たべてください。
/kono suiitsu wa hi-mochi shinai node hayame ni tabete kudasai./
These sweets don’t last long, so eat them as soon as possible.

●じゃがいもはとても腹持はらもちがいい。
/jagaimo wa totemo hara-mochi ga ii./
Potatoes are very filling (and keep me going longer).