닌자
ninja[niɲd͡ʑa̠]
The English phrase 'ninja' is translated into Korean as 닌자.
닌자 refers to a spy and mercenary from pre-modern Japan.
Meaning: spy and mercenary in pre-modern Japan (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is ninja.
Did you know?
- If a Korean speaker describes someone as a 닌자 today, they are often implying that the person is being sneaky or secretive in a modern, social context, rather than referring to history.
- Because of the historical tensions between Korea and Japan, some older Koreans may avoid using 닌자 in favor of descriptive phrases to avoid using Japanese loanwords.
- In Korean, the word 닌자 evokes a very specific image of black clothing and shuriken, whereas the native word 첩자 evokes a more general image of a political mole.
Examples in context
- 그 사람은 닌자입니다.That person is a ninja.
- 그 남자는 닌자야.That guy is a ninja.
- 일본의 닌자는 매우 신비롭습니다.ilbon-ui ninja-neun maeu sinbiropseumnida.Japanese ninjas are very mysterious.
- 어렸을 때 닌자 만화를 좋아했어요.eoryeosseul ttae ninja manhwa-reul joahaesseoyo.I liked ninja comics when I was young.
Example conversation
Minji and Hyunwoo are talking about a history book.
- 민지 Min-ji현우 씨, 이 책에 닌자 이야기가 나와요.hyeonu ssi, i chaeg-e ninja iyagiga nawayo.Hyunwoo, there is a story about ninjas in this book.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo정말요? 닌자는 어떻게 활동했나요?jeongmallyo? ninjaneun eotteoke hwaldonghaetnayo?Really? How did ninjas operate?
- 민지 Min-ji주로 밤에 몰래 정보를 수집했대요.juro bam-e mollae jeongboreul sujiphaetdaeyo.They say they mainly collected information secretly at night.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo와, 정말 대단하네요.wa, jeongmal daedanhaneyo.Wow, that's really impressive.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ninja” translations and entries 닌자, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
