振り
Meanings
Physical swinging or waving motion; also used as a counter for swings.
His bat swing is fast.
The dog gave its tail a single wag.
Outward appearance or way of acting; often used in phrases like ふりをする (to pretend). Usually written in kana.
He pretended not to know.
Acting like that is just his way.
pretence; false show; pretending
Specifically the act of pretending; overlaps with sense 2 but focuses on deception or feigning. Usually written in kana.
See also: 振りをする
I pretended to be asleep and let my parents pass by.
noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
walk-in customer; without reservation
Used in hospitality for a customer arriving without a prior booking or introduction. Usually written in kana.
We had many walk-in customers tonight.
dance posture; dance move
Refers to postures or movements in dance; somewhat specialized.
Learning the postures of traditional Japanese dance is difficult.
A remark or action that sets up a joke, question, or story; often written フリ in comedy. Usually written in kana.
See also: 前振り
His setup was so good that it got a laugh.
unsewn sleeve part; hanging sleeve opening
Traditional garment term; the unsewn portion of a sleeve on a woman's kimono.
The hanging sleeve part of this kimono is long and elegant.
counter for swords, blades
Used to count swords, knives, and similar bladed objects.
See also: 口 (くち)
I bought one sword.
Usage patterns
- 〈物〉を一振りするto give one swing of something
I gave the bat a single swing.
- 〈事〉の振りを覚えるto learn the choreography/moves of something
It took a while to learn the moves of the new dance.
- 〈事〉の振りを作るto set up a lead-in for a joke or story
He set up a good lead-in before getting to the main point of his story.
- 〈人〉がふりで来るfor a customer to come in without a reservation
On weekends there are a lot of walk-in customers.
- 〈数〉振りの刀a certain number of swords
He carefully kept two swords in storage.