手作り
tezukuri
The English word "handmade" is translated into Japanese as 手作り (tezukuri).
手作り is commonly used to describe food, such as home-cooked meals, as well as crafts and various artisanal goods. To use it to describe a specific noun, you connect it to that noun using the particle の.
Meaning: made by hand (adj)
Which one should you use?
While 手作り implies something made by hand, often carrying a sense of warmth or a home-made quality, it is distinct from 手工芸, which refers specifically to 'handicrafts' or 'handicraft arts'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to use an expression for "handmade" to describe a noun, use the particle の after it to connect the two words.
How do you pronounce it?
tezukuri
Did you know?
- While 手作り is general, Japanese uses 手打ち specifically for 'hand-kneaded' foods like noodles. Calling a bowl of udon 手作り is correct, but 手打ち is the prestigious term used by professional noodle shops.
- While 手作り is used for things made at home, the word 手作り感 can be used to describe something that looks 'too' handmade, sometimes implying it looks amateurish or lacks refinement.
- In Japanese cooking, the term 手作り is often used as a marketing buzzword to imply a sense of 'nostalgia' or 'childhood memories' of a mother's cooking.
Examples in context
- 手作りだった。It was handmade.This sentence is useful for stating that something was 手作り.Tatoeba #8549540 by small_snow, translation #8089157 by AlanF_US
- このラグは手作りなんだよ。This rug is handmade.This sentence is useful for describing a rug as being 手作り.Tatoeba #8720575 by small_snow, translation #2731702 by sharptoothed
- それは全て手作りのものだった。All of them were handmade things.This sentence is useful for describing things as being 手作り.Tatoeba #204701 by bunbuku, translation #41942 by CK
- この陶器は手作りです。This pottery is handmade.
- 手仕事をするのが私の趣味です。Making things by hand is my hobby.
- 手作りのケーキを作りました。I made a homemade cake.
- かわいらしい手仕事の小物Lovely handmade accessories
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
In a cafe, Hina shows Ren a small gift.
- 陽葵 Himariこれ、手作りのプレゼントだよ。Kore, tezukuri no purezento da yo.This is a handmade gift.
- 蓮 Renすごい、本当に手作りなの？Sugoi, hontou ni tezukuri nano?Wow, is it really handmade?
- 陽葵 Himariうん、時間をかけて作ったんだ。Un, jikan o kakete tsukutta n da.Yeah, I spent a lot of time making it.
- 蓮 Ren陽葵は本当に器用だね。Himari wa hontou ni kiyou da ne.Hina, you are really skillful.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
