苦無
kunai
The Japanese word 苦無 means kunai.
A 苦無 refers to a versatile tool and weapon.
Meaning: tool and weapon (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
kunai
Did you know?
- The kanji for 苦無 consist of the characters for 'bitter' and 'nothingness'.
- Despite their fame in fiction, there is very little evidence in historical records that kunai were ever used as primary combat weapons by the shinobi.
- In Japanese folklore and early tales, the kunai is often associated with the working class, contrasting with the 'katana' which represents the elite samurai class.
Examples in context
- 忍者がくないを使った！The ninja used a kunai!
- 彼は苦無を研いでいる。kare wa kunai o toide iru.He is sharpening a kunai.
- その苦無はとても鋭い。sono kunai wa totemo surudoi.That kunai is very sharp.
- 棚の上に古い苦無がある。tana no ue ni furui kunai ga aru.There is an old kunai on the shelf.
Example conversation
Himari and Yota are looking at a collection of ninja tools.
- 陽葵 Himari陽太、この苦無を見て！Yota, kono kunai o mite!Yota, look at this kunai!
- 陽太 Yota本当だ。かっこいい道具だね。Honto da. Kakkoii dōgu da ne.You're right. It's a cool tool.
- 陽葵 Himari昔の忍者はこれを使ったんだよ。Mukashi no shinobi wa kore o tsukatta n da yo.Ninjas used these in the past.
- 陽太 Yotaすごいね。使い方が知りたいな。Sugoi ne. Tsukaikata ga shiritai na.That's amazing. I want to know how to use it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 苦無, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
