Tsukuru

Tsukuru is a Japanese verb meaning to make, create, construct, or produce. It is normally written in kana as つくる and has two common kanji spellings: 作る and 造る. 作る is the general term for making things by hand, preparing meals, or producing plans and works. 造る emphasizes fabrication or construction from components and is often used for tangible products or larger-scale outcomes. In practice, both forms are read tsukuru, and writers choose kanji based on nuance or conventional usage.

Grammatical notes: Tsukuru is a godan (u-verb). Its polite form is つくります (tsukurimasu); the te-form is つくって (tsukutte); the past tense is つくった (tsukatta); the negative is つくらない (tsukur anai) written as つくらない (tsukur anai in kana). Other forms include つくろう (let’s make) and つくれば (if you make). Common examples include ご飯を作る (make a meal), ロボットを作る (make a robot), 車を造る (manufacture a car), 映画を作る (make a film).

Usage notes: The distinction between 作る and 造る is nuanced and context-dependent. 作る tends to be broader and used for everyday actions, cooking, crafts, or producing abstract things like plans or stories. 造る often carries a sense of construction or production from parts, sometimes in manufacturing or engineering contexts. In modern Japanese, both spellings are widely understood, and kanji choice often reflects nuance, formality, or readability.