Ninja: what does it really mean in Japanese?

What does “ninja” mean in Japanese?

Native speakers say “ninja” to refer to a person or people using special skills called Ninjutsu. Probably, this word is very famous as it is often used in Japanese movies, video games, novels, manga, anime, and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand what this word really means in Japanese. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “ninja”
• What does “ninja” literally mean in Japanese?
  • Example #1: how to say “ninja” in Japanese
  • Example #2: another usage of “ninja”
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “ninja”

Let me start with the definition and meaning of “ninja”.

• ninja – 忍者 (にんじゃ) : a noun meaning ‘ninja’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.

Native speakers use this noun to refer to a person or people who were trained in a very special way and use special skills called Ninjutsu. This Japanese word was exported to many countries and therefore is very famous today, I think.

The definition and meaning are simple and clear. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.

What does “ninja” literally mean in Japanese?

The kanji expression of “ninja” consists of the following two kanji characters:

• 忍 : a kanji character used to refer to the act of bearing or enduring.
• 者 : a kanji character widely used to mean ‘person’ or ‘people’ in Japanese.

These two kanji characters tell us that the formed noun literally means ‘a person or people who endure’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is very suggestive, I think. Today, ninja are widely considered people using flashy skills and moves. In reality, however, the noun refers to those who survive in difficult situations for a long time. They do not necessarily have to stand out in battles and wars. So, the current usage is somehow over romanticized.

When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “ninja” through the detailed kanji check above.

So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “ninja” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.

Example #1: how to say “ninja” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
• no – の : a case particle used after a noun or pronoun to make its possessive case. In the example, this is used after “boku” to make its possessive case, “boku no”, which means ‘my’ in Japanese.
• yume – 夢 (ゆめ) : a noun meaning ‘dream’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “boku no yume” to make the subject in the sentence.
• ni – に : a case particle used to say what someone or something becomes after a change or action. In the example, this is used after “ninja” to indicate what the speaker wants to become.
• naru – なる : a verb meaning ‘to become’, ‘to turn’, ‘to get’, or just ‘to be’ in Japanese.
• koto – こと : a noun meaning ‘thing’, ‘stuff’, ‘affair’, or such in Japanese. This can also work as a noun clause marker. In the example, this works after “ninja ni naru” to indicate the noun clause in the sentence.
• desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after the noun clause, “ninja ni naru koto”, to make it sound polite.

This is a typical usage of “ninja”. In this example, it works as a part of the noun clause which means ‘to become a ninja’ in Japanese.

Example #2: another usage of “ninja”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “ninja” to make the subject in the sentence.
• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. In the example, this works together with the case particle, “no”, to say “my” in Japanese.
• musume – 娘 (むすめ) : a noun meaning ‘daughter’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
• wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “watashi no musume” to make the object in the sentence.
• koroshi – 殺し (ころし) : one conjugation of the verb, “korosu“, which means ‘to kill’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese ta form. In the example, this is used after “koroshi” to make its past tense form, “koroshi ta”.

This is another typical usage of “ninja”. In this example, it works together with the case particle, “ga”, to become the subject in the sentence.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “ninja” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• ninja – 忍者 (にんじゃ) : a noun meaning ‘ninja’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Native speakers use this noun to refer to a person or people who were trained in a very special way and use special skills called Ninjutsu. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘a person or people who endure’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is very suggestive, I think. Today, ninja are widely considered people using flashy skills and moves. In reality, however, the noun refers to those who survive in difficult situations for a long time. They do not necessarily have to stand out in battles and wars. So, the current usage is somehow over romanticized.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.