Learn Japanese with Hiragana Times | 〜ずにいられない and Making Things

TODAY’S WORD | from Hiragana Times “IBUKI”

作つくらずに
いられない

tsukurazu ni irarenai

Start with 4 beats: tsu-ku-ra-zu

作つくらず tsukurazu = without making　＋　にいられない ni irarenai = can’t stay

“can’t help making things”

No one asked you to, and yet you keep making things — cooking, drawing, sewing, inventing games. Japanese has a phrase for that urge: 作つくらずにいられない (tsukurazu ni irarenai), “can’t help making things.”

It is the title of the IBUKI column in the November 2026 issue of Hiragana Times: 作つくらずにいられない人々ひとびと (tsukurazu ni irarenai hitobito), “People Who Can’t Help Making Things.” Learn this phrase, and you learn a pattern you can use with almost any verb: 〜ずにいられない (-zu ni irarenai), “can’t help doing.”

Read & Say | 作つくらずにいられない, sound by sound

Start with the first part, 作つくらず (tsukurazu): 4 beats. In Japanese, each beat takes the same length of time. Here the kanji 作つく is read つく (tsuku).

• つ (tsu) is one beat. Think of the “ts” at the end of “cats,” then a short “u.” Don’t split it into “too-soo.”
• The Japanese “u” in つ・く・ず is short and light, with relaxed lips — not the long, rounded “oo” of “moon.” ず (zu) is like a quick “zoo.”
• ら (ra): the Japanese “r” is a light tap of the tongue — close to the “tt” in American “better.”
• The rest, に・い・ら・れ・な・い (ni-i-ra-re-na-i), is 6 more beats, so the whole phrase has 10. Each い is a short “ee,” never “eye.” Keep the rhythm even, with no strong stress.

What can’t you help making? | tsukurazu ni irarenai

Read & Listen | tsukurazu ni irarenai in Hiragana Times

Here are a few lines from the IBUKI column. Read the English first, then try the Japanese.

People Who Can’t Help Making Things

作つくらずにいられない人々ひとびと

Tsukurazu ni irarenai hitobito

“Did you make that yourself?” It’s what people say without thinking when they see something a friend has made by hand.

「それ、自分じぶんで作つくったの？」。友ともだちの手作てづくりの品しなを見みて、思おもわず口くちにする言葉ことばです。

“Sore, jibun de tsukutta no?” Tomodachi no tezukuri no shina o mite, omowazu kuchi ni suru kotoba desu.

In Japan, there are many people who become absorbed in making things, even though no one asked them to.

日本にほんには、誰だれに頼たのまれたわけでもないのに、夢中むちゅうで何なにかを作つくってしまう人ひとたちがたくさんいます。

Nihon ni wa, dare ni tanomareta wake demo nai noni, muchū de nanika o tsukutte shimau hitotachi ga takusan imasu.

“There are people who are crazy about playing games in every country. But I think it’s unique to Japan that so many people get so hooked that they go as far as making them.” So says one person at a board game company.

「遊あそぶことに夢中むちゅうな人ひとは、どこの国くににもいます。でも、自分じぶんで作つくるところまで夢中むちゅうになる人ひとがこれほど多おおいのは、日本にほんならではだと思おもいます」。あるボードゲーム会社かいしゃの人ひとは、そう話はなします。

“Asobu koto ni muchū na hito wa, doko no kuni ni mo imasu. Demo, jibun de tsukuru tokoro made muchū ni naru hito ga kore hodo ōi no wa, Nihon narade wa da to omoimasu.” Aru bōdo gēmu-gaisha no hito wa, sō hanashimasu.

Listening point: The audio has English and Japanese. In the Japanese, listen for 夢中むちゅう (muchū, “absorbed, crazy about”) and 手作てづくり (tezukuri, “handmade”).

The example sentences, conversation and quiz below were written by We Languages for learning. They are not quotes from the article.

Inside the Phrase | 作つくら + ずにいられない

ず (zu) is an old negative ending that means the same as ない (nai), “not.” So 〜ずにいられない literally means “can’t stay without doing” — in natural English, “can’t help doing.” You will also see 〜ずにはいられない (-zu ni wa irarenai), with the same meaning.

How to build it: take the ない-form, drop ない, and add ずにいられない.

Verb	ない-form	〜ずにいられない
作つくる tsukuru (to make)	作つくらない tsukuranai	作つくらずにいられない tsukurazu ni irarenai
笑わらう warau (to laugh)	笑わらわない warawanai	笑わらわずにいられない warawazu ni irarenai
食たべる taberu (to eat)	食たべない tabenai	食たべずにいられない tabezu ni irarenai
する suru (to do)	しない shinai	せずにいられない sezu ni irarenai

One exception: する (suru) does not become “shizu.” It becomes せず (sezu): せずにいられない.

• Another ず in the article: 思おもわず (omowazu) = “without thinking,” from 思おもう (omou, to think). It is the same negative ず.
• Mostly about yourself: the pattern usually describes an urge you feel yourself.

Words for people who can’t help making things | muchū, tezukuri, oshi

Three words go well with 作つくらずにいられない: 夢中むちゅう (muchū, “absorbed, crazy about”), 手作てづくり (tezukuri, “handmade”) and 推おし (oshi, the idol or character you support with passion). The article lists what fans make:

From character bento and uchiwa fans for their oshi to cosplay costumes and original accessories

キャラ弁べんや推おしのうちわ、コスプレの衣装いしょうから、オリジナルのアクセサリーまで。

Kyaraben ya oshi no uchiwa, kosupure no ishō kara, orijinaru no akusesarī made.

Pattern: ［thing］に夢中むちゅうだ = “to be crazy about [thing].” The particle に (ni) marks what you are crazy about. 夢中むちゅうで + verb = to do something so absorbed that you forget everything else.

Key Words | Words to talk about tsukurazu ni irarenai

Japanese	Romaji	English
作つくらずにいられない	tsukurazu ni irarenai	can’t help making
作つくる	tsukuru	to make
夢中むちゅう	muchū	absorbed, crazy about
手作てづくり	tezukuri	handmade, homemade
推おし	oshi	your favorite (idol, character…)
自分じぶんで	jibun de	by yourself, yourself
思おもわず	omowazu	without thinking
ボードゲーム	bōdo gēmu	board game

Mini Dialogue | Use tsukurazu ni irarenai in a conversation

A notices the uchiwa fan B has made. This is casual Japanese between friends.

• 〜の？ (no?) = a casual question. Say it with rising intonation.
• 〜んだ (n da) = gives an explanation, like “you see, …”
• 〜ね (ne) at the end asks the other person to agree, like “…, aren’t you?”

Quiz | tsukurazu ni irarenai check

Q1. How many beats does 作つくらず (tsukurazu) have?

a) 4 (tsu-ku-ra-zu)　b) 2 (tsuku-razu)　c) 3 (tsu-ku-razu)

Answer

a) つ・く・ら・ず. “tsu” has three letters in romaji, but it is only one beat.

Q2. Which is the correct form for する (suru, to do)?

a) せずにいられない (sezu ni irarenai)

b) しずにいられない (shizu ni irarenai)

c) さずにいられない (sazu ni irarenai)

Answer

a) する is the exception: it becomes せず (sezu), then せずにいられない.

Q3. Make 笑わらう (warau, to laugh) into “can’t help laughing.”

a) 笑わらうずにいられない (warauzu ni irarenai)

b) 笑わらわずにいられない (warawazu ni irarenai)

c) 笑わらわないずにいられない (warawanaizu ni irarenai)

Answer

b) 笑わらわない (warawanai) → drop ない → 笑わらわ + ずにいられない.

Q4. In the article, 思おもわず口くちにする言葉ことば describes what people say when they see something handmade. What does 思おもわず (omowazu) mean?

a) without thinking　b) on purpose　c) after thinking hard

Answer

a) 思おもわず = “without thinking.” It uses the same negative ず as 作つくらず.

Your Turn | What can’t you help doing? 〜ずにいられない

Question: What is something you can’t help doing?

1. Say what you can’t help doing: ［ない-form without ない］ずにいられない。 (… zu ni irarenai.)
2. Add when it happens with 〜と (to, “when”): ［situation］と、…ずにいられない。
3. Add what you are crazy about: ［thing］に夢中むちゅうです。 (… ni muchū desu.) Read it aloud, then say it without looking.

From tsukurazu ni irarenai to Real Japan

From Oink Games’ tiny boxes and the 16 cards of Love Letter to Bomb Busters, winner of the German Game of the Year in 2025, the urge to make things has traveled around the world. Hiragana Times brings you real Japan every month — with English and Japanese side by side.

Read the full article in Hiragana Times →

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