How to say "reconstruct" in Japanese

• 建て替えるたてかえる
  ichidan verb, transitive verbCovers the concrete sense of reconstructing a building: building a new structure to take the place of the old one. Typical when an old or damaged house or other building is rebuilt.
• 建て直すたてなおす
  godan verb, transitive verbAlso means to rebuild a building or other structure — to build it again. In this sense it is close in meaning to 建て替える, which likewise describes reconstructing a physical structure.
  日本にっぽんは経済けいざいの建て直たてなおしをはからなければならない。↗

  Japan has to reconstruct its economy.
• 作り変えるつくりかえる
  ichidan verb, transitive verbCovers remaking or converting something — making a thing over into a different form or use. It is not the word for reconstructing buildings; for that sense, 建て替える or 建て直す is what you want.
  彼女かのじょは自分じぶんの古ふるい衣服いふくをもっと流行りゅうこうに見みえるように作つくりかえた。↗

  She altered her old clothes to make them look more fashionable.

For reconstructing a building or other structure, use 「建て替える」 or 「建て直す」, which both mean to rebuild; use 「作り変える」 for remaking or converting something into a different form, not for rebuilding structures.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 建て替えるたてかえるto rebuild
• 建て直すたてなおすto rebuild
• 作り変えるつくりかえるto remake