noun
stealth; sneaking
General noun for moving or acting secretly, often in the context of ninja or covert operations.
忍びの術を使って敵の城に潜入した。
He infiltrated the enemy castle using stealth techniques.
noun
Abbreviation of 忍び歩き; refers to traveling without revealing one's identity, often in historical or literary contexts.
See also: 忍び歩き
彼は忍びで諸国を巡った。
He traveled incognito through the provinces.
noun
ninjutsu
Abbreviation of 忍びの術; refers specifically to the art of stealth and espionage practiced by ninja.
See also: 忍びの術
忍びを極めるには長年の修行が必要だ。
Mastering ninjutsu requires years of training.
noun
Abbreviation of 忍びの者; a person trained in ninjutsu, often used in historical or fictional contexts.
See also: 忍びの者
その忍びは闇に紛れて消えた。
The ninja vanished into the darkness.
noun
sneak theft; sneak thief
Refers to a thief who operates stealthily, or the act of stealing by stealth; somewhat dated usage.
忍びに入られて金を盗まれた。
A sneak thief broke in and stole the money.
noun
Used only in the negative phrase 忍びない, meaning 'cannot bear to do something' or 'cannot bring oneself to do something'.
See also: 忍びない
彼の苦しみを見るに忍びない。
I cannot bear to see his suffering.
The full form of the abbreviated sense 'travelling incognito'; more explicit and less common.
The full form of the abbreviated sense 'ninjutsu'; explicitly refers to the art of stealth.
The full form of the abbreviated sense 'ninja'; explicitly refers to a person who practices ninjutsu.
The negative phrase in which 忍び appears with the meaning 'tolerance'; used to express inability to endure something.
Derived from the verb 忍ぶ (しのぶ), meaning 'to conceal oneself' or 'to endure'. The noun form 忍び refers to stealth or secret actions, and by extension to ninja and related concepts. The tolerance sense is a separate development from the same verb.