ninja

ninja — noun

1. A warrior in old Japan who was trained to move quietly and stay out of sight, sk

1.名詞B1
釋義

A warrior in old Japan who was trained to move quietly and stay out of sight, skilled at using a short sword and sometimes hired to spy on or attack enemies secretly.

例句

In 15th-century Japan, Hiro spent years training to become a ninja in his village.

collocation: train to become a ninja

The old scroll described how ninjas could climb castle walls without making any sound.

described how + ability clause

同義詞
  • shinobi

    The original Japanese term for ninja; less common in English but used by enthusiasts and in historical texts.

  • spy

    Focuses on the information-gathering role but does not imply combat skill or the Japanese cultural origin.

  • assassin

    Highlights the killing-for-hire aspect but carries a modern, criminal connotation that historical ninja did not always have.

  • stealth operative

    A modern military term that captures the secretive movement aspect but lacks the historical and cultural specificity.

反義詞
  • samurai

    A samurai fought openly, followed a strict honour code (bushidō), and belonged to the noble warrior class — the direct social and tactical opposite of a ninja.

文法句型

ninja + noun (as modifier)

the + ninja / ninjas

用法筆記

The plural form 'ninja' (without -s) is often used when referring to the historical group as a collective, while 'ninjas' is common in modern contexts such as films, games, and everyday conversation. As a modifier, the singular form is always used: 'ninja training', 'ninja weapons'.

常見錯誤

❌Samurai and ninja were the same kind of Japanese warrior.
✅Samurai were noble warriors who followed a strict code of honour, while ninja were covert fighters who used stealth and espionage.
💡The two groups belonged to very different social classes and fighting traditions in Japanese history.
❌The ninja was a kind of soldier who fought in open battles.
✅Ninja rarely fought in open battles
💡they were trained to work secretly, gathering information and carrying out surprise attacks.' — Ninja were special forces for spying and covert operations, not frontline soldiers.