# Difference between Shinobi and Ninja?



## Tengu

I know the word Shinobi means Ninja but I'm curious if there is any difference between the two terms?


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## Tgace

Tengu said:


> I know the word Shinobi means Ninja but I'm curious if there is any difference between the two terms?



According to Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninja



> [Ninja is an on'yomi (Early Middle Chinese-influenced) reading of the two kanji "&#24525;&#32773;". In the native kun'yomi kanji reading, it is pronounced shinobi, a shortened form of the transcription shinobi-no-mono (&#24525;&#12398;&#32773. These two systems of pronouncing kanji create words (ninja/ninsha or shinobi-no-mono) with similar meanings.[9]
> 
> The word shinobi appears in the written record as far back as the late 8th century in poems in the Man'y&#333;sh&#363;.[10][11] The underlying connotation of shinobi (&#24525;) means "to steal away" and  by extension  "to forbear", hence its association with stealth and invisibility. Mono (&#32773;) means "a person". It also relates to the term shinobu, which means to hide.
> 
> Historically, the word ninja was not in common use, and a variety of regional colloquialisms evolved to describe what would later be dubbed ninja. Along with shinobi, some examples include monomi ("one who sees"), nokizaru ("macaque on the roof"), rappa ("ruffian"), kusa ("grass") and Iga-mono ("one from Iga").[7] In historical documents, shinobi is almost always used.


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## Tengu

Thanks, that was helpful.


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## Al Xhong Rinpoche

A Shinobi-A Mono is a Shinobi trained warrior. In the feudal area. He is trained to endure and be of the stealthiest movements. When One of this soldiers is sent to assasinate he is "the one nominated to kill a target" which means "ninja". It is the name of a soldier nominated for an assassination mission within the Shinobi A- mono


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## KangTsai

Pretty sure shinobi is used to refer to a male ninja.


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## Chris Parker

Both of you, just… no. The answer is, simply, as Tgace said 3 and a half years ago, that it's two different pronunciations for the same term… there is no difference, other than preference depending on the period and person.



Al Xhong Rinpoche said:


> A Shinobi-A Mono is a Shinobi trained warrior. In the feudal area.



No. For one thing, that doesn't even make sense. For another, the term is "shinobi no mono", not "shinobi a mono"… you're also going to have to be far more particular about what you mean by "feudal era"… Muromachi Jidai? Sengoku Jidai? Ashikaga Jidai? Tokugawa Jidai?



Al Xhong Rinpoche said:


> He is trained to endure and be of the stealthiest movements.



Huh?



Al Xhong Rinpoche said:


> When One of this soldiers is sent to assasinate he is "the one nominated to kill a target" which means "ninja".



No, it absolutely does not mean anything of the kind. There is nothing about killing, a target, or anything else in the term.



Al Xhong Rinpoche said:


> It is the name of a soldier nominated for an assassination mission within the Shinobi A- mono



There is no record or indication of any shinobi/ninja being linked to any assassination at all, other than one or two folktales or similarly fanciful (and historically baseless) stories.



KangTsai said:


> Pretty sure shinobi is used to refer to a male ninja.



No. While there is a term that is often used to apply to female ninja (kunoichi), there is no specific "male" designation… so, no.

This isn't even the difference between saying someone is a Marine, and saying they're a soldier… it's the difference between saying someone is a Marine, and saying they were in the Marines.


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## Tez3

Chris Parker said:


> While there is a term that is often used to apply to female ninja (kunoichi),



I find this interesting, Chris, can you suggest any reading up about female ninjas? cheers!


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## Steve

Kunoichi, a term known in America to any fans of the ninja warrior contests.   Kunoichi was what they called the all female versions of the competitions.  I love those shows.


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## ryu hyabusa

Tengu said:


> I know the word Shinobi means Ninja but I'm curious if there is any difference between the two terms?


None of these are the correct definition. To be shinobi is something you can not find on the internet . it exist only in your soul. It makes me extremely proud and disgusted at the same time to see people that can't possibly understand the definition to comment on the subject. Its a literal hypocrisy seeing as no shinobi would ever admit or aknowledge this fact. This shows that people have zero comprehension or the term. Hence " to conceal oneself" . people are not very bright!!!


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## JR 137

You’ve all got it wrong.  And seriously wrong...

Shinobi - Video game originally released as an arcade game in 1987

Ninja - The Japanese guys in black masks who throw a small metal ball on the ground and disappear in the ensuing smoke.


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## pgsmith

JR 137 said:


> Ninja - The Japanese guys in black masks who throw a small metal ball on the ground and disappear in the ensuing smoke.


  Wait a minute ... I thought a Ninja was a motorcycle? If it isn't, then I need to rethink my friend's stories about what fun it was riding a ninja!


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## JR 137

pgsmith said:


> Wait a minute ... I thought a Ninja was a motorcycle? If it isn't, then I need to rethink my friend's stories about what fun it was riding a ninja!


Sounds pretty suspect to me.  If they rode a katana, I’d have interesting questions too.


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## TSDTexan

JR 137 said:


> Sounds pretty suspect to me.  If they rode a katana, I’d have interesting questions too.


What if they rode a hurricane?


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## JR 137

TSDTexan said:


> What if they rode a hurricane?


Would never happen in Japan.  It would be a typhoon.


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## TSDTexan

JR 137 said:


> Would never happen in Japan.  It would be a typhoon.


We don't know where PGsmith's friend rode the Ninja. Could have happened anywhere.

While riding a typhoon might be a thing specific to the waters of the Pacific.


we know the ninja fears the hurricane. Even in Japan.


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## TSDTexan

.


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## Hakkan Mordrake

Ninja is just another way of saying "shinobi no mono." Period.


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