What does "ronin" mean in Japanese
"Ronin" (浪人) means "wave person": 浪 — wave, 人 — person, that is, a samurai without a master, carried around the world. The word is still alive today, but the meaning has changed: it is used for a graduate who did not get into university and prepares for exams for another year. Such a year is noted directly on a resume — it's common practice.
Of all samurai words, this is the only one that every Japanese person applies to themselves or acquaintances. Let's break down both meanings — the old and the living one.
What the word literally means
| Japanese | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 浪人ろうにん | rōnin | Ronin; second-year applicant |
| 浪なみ | nami | Wave |
| 主君しゅくん | shukun | Lord, suzerain |
| 仕えるつかえる | tsukaeru | To serve someone |
| 浪人生ろうにんせい | rōninsei | Applicant preparing for another year |
| 四十七士しじゅうしちし | shijūshichishi | Forty-seven roninthe most famous story of revenge |
Why "wave person"
The image is transparent: a samurai without a master lost his stipend and place and wandered like a splinter on a wave. Formally, he remained a warrior, but he fell out of the service system — and it was that system that determined status in feudal Japan.
Ronin today
The modern meaning grew out of the same image: a graduate who didn't get into university finds himself "in between" — school is behind, university is not yet. He spends a year at preparatory courses (予備校) and applies again.
- 一浪 (ichiro:) — one year after school, 二浪 (niro:) — two: the count is kept openly.
- There's no shame in it: competition for prestigious universities is high, and a year of preparation is considered a normal investment.
- There's also 仮面浪人 — "ronin in a mask": studies at one university but secretly prepares to enter another.
- The story of the forty-seven ronin (Ako) is a national tale of loyalty: they avenged their lord and accepted the verdict.
- What not to do: don't confuse ronin with ninja — these are different phenomena, the latter has a completely different history.
FAQ
What does "ronin" mean?
浪人 — "wave person", a samurai without a master. Today it refers to an applicant preparing for admission for another year.
Why are applicants called ronin?
By the same image: he is "in between" — school is behind, university is not yet, and for a year he goes his own way.
Who are the forty-seven ronin?
Samurai from Ako who avenged their executed lord and accepted the verdict. A national tale of loyalty.
How is "ronin" written in Japanese?
浪人, in kana ろうにん. The first vowel is long: "ro:nin".
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