ninja

See also: Ninja and NINJA

English

A woodblock print of a ninja from the Hokusai Manga, published in 1814.

Etymology

A romanized borrowing of Japanese 忍者 (ninja), popularized within Japanese by manga after World War II and in English by Eric Van Lustbader's 1980 novel The Ninja and the 1981 movie Enter the Ninja, of uncertain derivation but with an underlying sense of secret or hidden person.

The “Mongolian miner” sense arose from the supposed resemblance of the bowls used to wash ore with mercury to the shells of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

The Juggalo slang sense arose via influence from AAVE nigga.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈnɪnd͡ʒə/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪnd͡ʒə

Noun

ninja (plural ninja or ninjas)

1. (martial arts) A person trained in ninjutsu, especially (historical) one used for espionage, assassination, and other tasks requiring stealth during Japan's shogunate period.
   • 1964, Ian Fleming, You Only Live Twice, page 126:

     The men... are now learning to be ninja or ‘stealers-in’.

   • 2000 October 15, Denver Post, page 10:

     Spies prowled Japan from the seventh century, but the secretive ninja left few written records.

2. (figurative) A person considered similarly skillful to the historical ninja, especially in covert or stealthy operation.
   • 1972 September 11, Newsweek, Int'l ed., p. 28:

     For months the Japanese spoke of national-security adviser Henry Kissinger as a ninja—the magician of Japanese legends who performs supernatural acts and practices sorcery.

   • 1987 August 3, Business Week, page 40:

     Other bankers are dubbing themselves ninja, modern-day descendants of the superspies of 17th century samurai houses.

   • 1991 August 4, The Guardian, page 13:

     Young banking and securities firms executives (nicknamed the ninja...) are especially assigned to cultivate relations with the finance ministry. Only verbal instructions are ever given to the ninja.

   • 2017, Darren Jones, JavaScript: Novice to Ninja‎^[2], SitePoint, →ISBN:

     A JavaScript ninja should write lots of code and build things!

   1. (video games, fandom slang, in the plural) A notional draconian arm of a corporation (originally Nintendo), tasked with dealing with individuals that infringe on its rights or do not comply with its regulations.
      • 2024 January 23, @tetsuo_88, Twitter‎^[3]:

        I had TOTK running on my pc 2 weeks before it released on the switch and I'm still here. They can send the ninjas, I'm waiting.

      • 2024 March 5, @HikikomoriMedia, Twitter‎^[4]:

        Nintendo ninjas were inside the discord, watching. Now all the Yuzu devs have turned over all electronic devices, websites, logs...

3. (figurative) A person considered to look like the historical ninja in some way, including (historical slang) an amateur private miner in Mongolia.
   • 1998 December 28, Chicago Tribune, page 1:

     He immediately suspected they were ninjas because, he said, they were dressed in black and wore masks, trademarks of the mysterious assassins who have been sowing terror across East Java in recent months.

   • 2003 February 21, Business Times::

     Yen buyers were more subdued... fearing the Bank of Japan's new strategy of covert intervention to buy U.S. dollars through agent banks—described by some as the central bank's ninjas or secret agents.

   • 2007 October 10, Jonathan Watts, “Prospectors and 'Ninja' Miners Flood to East's El Dorado”, in The Guardian:

     Many were former nomads, but as the gold rush gathered pace, students, vets and taxi drivers from Ulan Bator joined the ninjas, not just in Ogoomor but in other gold towns across the country.

4. (euphemistic, African-American Vernacular) Synonym of nigga as a friendly term of address.
   • 2003, Steven Ayromlooi, Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood, spoken by LEPRECHAUN:

     What's up, ninjas?

   • 2024, “BBL Drizzy”, King Willonius (lyrics):

     I'm thicker than a Snicker, I'm thicker than your ninja!

   1. (Juggalo slang) Synonym of man as a friendly term of address.

      What up, my ninja!

5. (euphemistic, vulgar, derogatory, offensive, ethnic slur) nigger.

Synonyms

• (person trained in ninjutsu): shinobi, assassin, spy
• (figurative covert agent): killer, spy, superspy, magician, secret agent

Hyponyms

• (person trained in ninjutsu): kunoichi

Derived terms

• ginger ninja
• mall ninja
• ninja cop
• ninja foot
• ninja gym
• ninja loot
• ninja looter
• ninja miner
• ninja star
• ninja sword
• ninja van
• ninjette, ninja rock

 

Related terms

• ninja loan, NINJA loan
• ninjutsu, ninjitsu
• ninpo

Translations

person trained in ninjutsu

• Arabic: نِينْجَا m (nīnjā), نِنْجَا m (ninjā)
• Armenian: նինջա (ninǰa)
• Asturian: ninja
• Azerbaijani: nindza
• Bashkir: ниндзя (nindzya)
• Basque: ninja
• Belarusian: ні́ндзя m or f (níndzja)
• Bulgarian: ни́нджа n (níndža)
• Catalan: ninja
• Cebuano: ninja
• Chinese:

  Hokkien: 忍者 (zh-min-nan) (jím-chiá)

  Mandarin: 忍者 (zh) (rěnzhě)

• Czech: ninja m
• Danish: ninja (da)
• Dutch: ninja (nl)
• Esperanto: ninĵo
• Finnish: ninja (fi)
• French: ninja (fr) m or f
• Galician: ninja
• Georgian: ნინძა (ninʒa)
• German: Ninja (de)
• Greek: νίντζα m (níntza)
• Hebrew: נִינְגָ׳ה m (ninja)
• Hindi: निंजा (niñjā), निञ्जा (niñjā)
• Hungarian: nindzsa (hu)
• Icelandic: ninja
• Ido: ninja (io)
• Indonesian: ninja
• Italian: ninja (it) m or f
• Japanese: 忍者 (ja) (ninja), 忍び (ja) (shinobi), 忍びの者 (shinobi no mono)
• Javanese: shinobi
• Korean: 닌자 (ko) (ninja)
• Macedonian: нинџа (nindža)
• Malay: ninja
• Marathi: निंजा m (niñjā), निनजा m (ninjā)
• Mazanderani: نینجا
• Mongolian: нинжа (ninža)
• Norwegian: ninja m
• Persian: نینجا (ninjâ)
• Polish: ninja (pl) m
• Portuguese: ninja (pt) m or f
• Russian: ни́ндзя (ru) m or f (níndzja)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: нинџа m or f

  Roman: nindža (sh) m or f

• Slovene: nindža m
• Spanish: ninja m
• Swedish: ninja (sv) c
• Tamil: நிஞ்சா (niñcā)
• Telugu: నింజా (niñjā)
• Thai: นินจา (th) (nin-jaa)
• Turkish: ninja (tr)
• Ukrainian: ні́ндзя m or f (níndzja)
• Urdu: ننجا (ninjā)
• Vietnamese: ninja, nhẫn giả
• Yiddish: נינדזשאַ n (nindzha)

Adjective

ninja (not comparable)

1. Of or related to ninjas in their various senses.
   • 1966 October, Black Belt, page 5:

     The July 1966 issue had a cartoon concerning a Ninja dojo.

   • 1971 May, Black Belt, page 40:

     One of the most controversial characters in Japan's current ninja boom is a stout but surprisingly agile man in his mid-forties named Norihiro Iga-Hakuyusai.

   • 1995 August 28, Time, page 36:

     […] Federal agents in body armor and black ninja uniforms […]

   • 2002 August 31, The Guardian, page 2:

     As they broke camp, the teenage son practised his Ninja moves with a tentpole.

Verb

ninja (third-person singular simple present ninjas, present participle ninjaing, simple past and past participle ninjaed or ninja'd)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To act or move like a ninja, particularly with regard to a combination of speed, power, and stealth.
   • 1992, Iain Banks, Crow Road, page 160:

     I leapt up, ninja'd over to Gav's bed and wheeched the duvet off.

   • 1996 April 23, Rocky Mountain News, page 5:

     In our dark house we were ninja-ing around with water guns.

   • 2002 August 29, Los Angeles Times, page 48:

     I ninja'd my way into Kung Fu Records to hang out with those merry pranksters the Vandals.

2. (Internet slang) Synonym of preempt: to supersede and invalidate a response by posting immediately before it.

   When I hit post, I saw that Blue Emu had ninja'd me, so I just deleted my reply.

3. (online gaming slang) To claim an item through abuse of game mechanics.

   That damn warrior ninja'd an epic-quality wand even though he can't even use it!

References

• “ninja, n. and adj.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 2003.
• “ninja, v.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 2003.

Anagrams

• Jin'an, Jinan

Danish

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 忍者.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnindja/

Noun

ninja c (singular definite ninjaen, plural indefinite ninjaer)

1. ninja
   • 2016, Kristoffer Jacob Andersen, Lord Kenshus forbandelse, Tellerup A/S, →ISBN:

     „Ninjaer er blot simple spioner.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2014, Lise Bidstrup, Shinobi #5: Ninja-genfærd, Tellerup A/S, →ISBN:

     Disse ninjaer var uhyggelige, tågeagtige skikkelser.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2016, Anders Matthesen, Ternet Ninja, Rosinante & Co, →ISBN:

     Aske kunne se syningerne i ninjaens dragt.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2002, Kejserens atlas, Gyldendal A/S, →ISBN, page 184:

     „Nattergalegulvet", der sladrede om ninjaens trin, blev et kuriosum.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Declension

Declension of ninja

common gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	ninja	ninjaen	ninjaer	ninjaerne
genitive	ninjas	ninjaens	ninjaers	ninjaernes

References

• “ninja” in Den Danske Ordbog

Finnish

Etymology

From Japanese 忍者 (ninja).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈninjɑ/, [ˈninjɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -injɑ
• Syllabification^(key): nin‧ja

Noun

ninja

1. ninja

Declension

Inflection of ninja (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		ninja	ninjat
genitive		ninjan	ninjojen
partitive		ninjaa	ninjoja
illative		ninjaan	ninjoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		ninja	ninjat
accusative	nom.	ninja	ninjat
	gen.	ninjan
genitive		ninjan	ninjojen ninjain rare
partitive		ninjaa	ninjoja
inessive		ninjassa	ninjoissa
elative		ninjasta	ninjoista
illative		ninjaan	ninjoihin
adessive		ninjalla	ninjoilla
ablative		ninjalta	ninjoilta
allative		ninjalle	ninjoille
essive		ninjana	ninjoina
translative		ninjaksi	ninjoiksi
abessive		ninjatta	ninjoitta
instructive		—	ninjoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of ninja (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative ninjani ninjani accusative nom. ninjani ninjani gen. ninjani genitive ninjani ninjojeni ninjaini rare partitive ninjaani ninjojani inessive ninjassani ninjoissani elative ninjastani ninjoistani illative ninjaani ninjoihini adessive ninjallani ninjoillani ablative ninjaltani ninjoiltani allative ninjalleni ninjoilleni essive ninjanani ninjoinani translative ninjakseni ninjoikseni abessive ninjattani ninjoittani instructive — — comitative — ninjoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative ninjasi ninjasi accusative nom. ninjasi ninjasi gen. ninjasi genitive ninjasi ninjojesi ninjaisi rare partitive ninjaasi ninjojasi inessive ninjassasi ninjoissasi elative ninjastasi ninjoistasi illative ninjaasi ninjoihisi adessive ninjallasi ninjoillasi ablative ninjaltasi ninjoiltasi allative ninjallesi ninjoillesi essive ninjanasi ninjoinasi translative ninjaksesi ninjoiksesi abessive ninjattasi ninjoittasi instructive — — comitative — ninjoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative ninjamme ninjamme accusative nom. ninjamme ninjamme gen. ninjamme genitive ninjamme ninjojemme ninjaimme rare partitive ninjaamme ninjojamme inessive ninjassamme ninjoissamme elative ninjastamme ninjoistamme illative ninjaamme ninjoihimme adessive ninjallamme ninjoillamme ablative ninjaltamme ninjoiltamme allative ninjallemme ninjoillemme essive ninjanamme ninjoinamme translative ninjaksemme ninjoiksemme abessive ninjattamme ninjoittamme instructive — — comitative — ninjoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative ninjanne ninjanne accusative nom. ninjanne ninjanne gen. ninjanne genitive ninjanne ninjojenne ninjainne rare partitive ninjaanne ninjojanne inessive ninjassanne ninjoissanne elative ninjastanne ninjoistanne illative ninjaanne ninjoihinne adessive ninjallanne ninjoillanne ablative ninjaltanne ninjoiltanne allative ninjallenne ninjoillenne essive ninjananne ninjoinanne translative ninjaksenne ninjoiksenne abessive ninjattanne ninjoittanne instructive — — comitative — ninjoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative ninjansa ninjansa accusative nom. ninjansa ninjansa gen. ninjansa genitive ninjansa ninjojensa ninjainsa rare partitive ninjaansa ninjojaan ninjojansa inessive ninjassaan ninjassansa ninjoissaan ninjoissansa elative ninjastaan ninjastansa ninjoistaan ninjoistansa illative ninjaansa ninjoihinsa adessive ninjallaan ninjallansa ninjoillaan ninjoillansa ablative ninjaltaan ninjaltansa ninjoiltaan ninjoiltansa allative ninjalleen ninjallensa ninjoilleen ninjoillensa essive ninjanaan ninjanansa ninjoinaan ninjoinansa translative ninjakseen ninjaksensa ninjoikseen ninjoiksensa abessive ninjattaan ninjattansa ninjoittaan ninjoittansa instructive — — comitative — ninjoineen ninjoinensa

Further reading

• “ninja”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[5] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-03

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 忍者 (ninja).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈnɪnd͡ʒa]
• Rhymes: -d͡ʒa, -a
• Hyphenation: nin‧ja

Noun

ninja (first-person possessive ninjaku, second-person possessive ninjamu, third-person possessive ninjanya)

1. (historical) ninja, a person trained in ninjutsu, especially one used for espionage, assassination, and other tasks requiring stealth during Japan's shogunate period.
2. unidentified assassin with black clothes and mask

Further reading

• “ninja” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Italian

Etymology

From Japanese 忍者 (ninja).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnin.d͡ʒa/
• Rhymes: -indʒa
• Hyphenation: nìn‧ja

Noun

ninja m (invariable)

1. (historical) ninja

Japanese

Romanization

ninja

1. Rōmaji transcription of にんじゃ

Coordinate terms

• ninpō
• onmitsu
• Oniwaban

Polish

ninja

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English ninja.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɲin.d͡ʑa/, /ˈɲin.d͡ʐa/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ind͡ʑa, -ind͡ʐa
• Syllabification: nin‧ja

Noun

ninja m pers (indeclinable)

1. (espionage, historical, martial arts) ninja (person trained in ninjutsu, especially one used for espionage, assassination, and other tasks requiring stealth during Japan's shogunate period)

   Coordinate term: ninjutsu

Declension

Declension of ninja

	singular	plural
nominative	ninja	ninjowie/ninje (deprecative)
genitive	ninji	ninjów
dative	ninji	ninjom
accusative	ninję	ninjów/ninje (deprecative)
instrumental	ninją	ninjami
locative	ninji	ninjach
vocative	ninjo	ninjowie/ninje (deprecative)

or

Indeclinable.

Further reading

• ninja in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• ninja in PWN's encyclopedia

Portuguese

Etymology

From Japanese 忍者 (ninja).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnĩ.ʒɐ/

• Hyphenation: nin‧ja

Noun

ninja m or f by sense (plural ninjas)

1. (martial arts, historical) ninja (person trained in stealth, espionage, assassination and ninjutsu)

Spanish

Alternative forms

• ninya

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ˈninʝa/ [ˈnĩɲ.ɟ͡ʝa]

• IPA^(key): (everywhere but Argentina and Uruguay) /ˈninʝa/ [ˈnĩɲ.ɟ͡ʝa]
• IPA^(key): (Buenos Aires and environs) /ˈninʃa/ [ˈnĩnʲ.ʃa]
• IPA^(key): (elsewhere in Argentina and Uruguay) /ˈninʒa/ [ˈnĩnʲ.ʒa]

• Rhymes: -inʝa
• Syllabification: nin‧ja

Noun

ninja m or f by sense (plural ninjas)

1. (martial arts, historical) ninja (person trained in stealth, espionage, assassination and ninjutsu)

Further reading

• “ninja”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), 23rd edition, Royal Spanish Academy, 2014 October 16

Swedish

en ninja som drar sin katana [a ninja drawing his katana]

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 忍者 (ninja).

Noun

ninja c

1. a ninja

   Ninjor är mästare på att röra sig osynligt i skuggorna

   Ninjas are masters of moving invisibly in the shadows

Declension

Declension of ninja

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	ninja	ninjas
	definite	ninjan	ninjans
plural	indefinite	ninjor	ninjors
	definite	ninjorna	ninjornas

See also

• katana
• ninjutsu

References

• ninja in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)

Turkish

Etymology

From French ninja, from Japanese 忍者 (ninja).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nin.ʒa/

Noun

ninja (definite accusative ninjayı, plural ninjalar)

1. ninja

Declension

Inflection
Nominative	ninja
Definite accusative	ninjayı
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	ninja	ninjalar
Definite accusative	ninjayı	ninjaları
Dative	ninjaya	ninjalara
Locative	ninjada	ninjalarda
Ablative	ninjadan	ninjalardan
Genitive	ninjanın	ninjaların
Predicative forms Singular Plural 1st singular ninjayım ninjalarım 2nd singular ninjasın ninjalarsın 3rd singular ninja ninjadır ninjalar ninjalardır 1st plural ninjayız ninjalarız 2nd plural ninjasınız ninjalarsınız 3rd plural ninjalar ninjalardır