漫画

• Reading: まんが
• Romaji: manga
• Kanji breakdown: 漫 (man) — rambling, whimsical; 画 (ga) — picture, drawing
• Pronunciation: /maɴ.ɡa/

Meaning

Cartoon; comic; manga. Refers to Japanese-style comics and graphic storytelling.

Encompasses a wide range of drawn storytelling, from newspaper comic strips to full-length serialised graphic novels. In Japan, manga is read by people of all ages and covers every genre imaginable. The word is now used internationally to refer specifically to Japanese comics.

Examples

1. 毎週新しい漫画を読んでいます。 I read new manga every week.
2. 子供のとき漫画が大好きでした。 I loved manga when I was a kid.
3. この漫画はとても人気があります。 This manga is very popular.

Usage Guide

Context: entertainment, hobbies, culture

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Coined in the late 18th century, combining 漫 (whimsical, rambling) and 画 (picture). The artist Hokusai popularised the term with his Hokusai Manga sketchbooks in the early 1800s.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo period

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal