忍者
rěnzhě
The English phrase "ninja" is translated into Chinese as 忍者 (rěnzhě).
忍者 refers to the spies and mercenaries used in pre-modern Japan.
Meaning: spy and mercenary in pre-modern Japan (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 忍者 is composed of 忍 (rěn), meaning to endure or conceal and 者 (zhě), meaning a person or practitioner.
How do you pronounce it?
rěnzhě
Did you know?
- The character 忍 (rěn) is a phono-semantic compound consisting of the radicals for 'knife' and 'heart', visually representing the idea of enduring pain.
- Because the characters are shared, a Japanese speaker and a Chinese speaker can understand the word 忍者 in writing even if they cannot speak each other's language.
- In Chinese martial arts literature and cinema, 忍者 are often portrayed as rivals to the 武林 (wǔlín) or folk heroes of China.
Examples in context
- 他在电影里扮演一名忍者。Tā zài diànyǐng lǐ bànyǎn yī míng rěnzhě.He plays a ninja in the movie.
- 忍者擅长使用各种隐蔽武器。Rěnzhě shàncháng shǐyòng gè zhǒng yǐnbì wǔqì.Ninjas are good at using various concealed weapons.
- 那本小说讲述了忍者的故事。Nà běn xiǎoshuō jiǎngshù le rěnzhě de gùshì.That novel tells the story of a ninja.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a historical TV show at a cafe.
- 梓涵 Zihan你喜欢看关于忍者的剧吗？Nǐ xǐhuān kàn guānyú rěnzhě de jù ma?Do you like watching shows about ninjas?
- 俊杰 Junjie我很喜欢，因为忍者很酷。Wǒ hěn xǐhuān, yīnwèi rěnzhě hěn kù.I like them a lot because ninjas are cool.
- 梓涵 Zihan我也是，我想学他们的技能。Wǒ yě shì, wǒ xiǎng xué tāmen de jìnéng.Me too, I want to learn their skills.
- 俊杰 Junjie梓涵，那可太难了。Zǐhán, nà kě tài nán le.Zihan, that would be too difficult.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ninja” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
