manga

manga — noun

1. a style of comic book or graphic novel that comes from Japan, covering many diff

1.nounB1
Definition

a style of comic book or graphic novel that comes from Japan, covering many different subjects and aimed at readers of all ages

Example

Christopher grew up reading manga, especially the action series published in Shonen Jump magazine.

manga as an uncountable genre noun

The library has a large manga section with titles from romance to science fiction.

broad range of genres within manga

Common collocations
  • read manga
  • Japanese manga
  • manga series
  • manga artist
  • manga magazine
  • manga fan
Synonyms
  • comic

    a broader term for any picture-story publication; manga specifically refers to Japanese-origin works

  • graphic novel

    usually a longer, book-length comic; manga can be published in single volumes or serialised chapters

  • anime

    the animated (TV/film) adaptation of manga-style stories; not a synonym but often confused with manga

Grammar Patterns

manga as uncountable: 'I read manga'

manga as countable plural: 'three manga on the shelf'

Usage Note

When referring to the genre as a whole, manga is most often uncountable (e.g. 'She enjoys manga'). When talking about individual volumes or issues, it can be countable ('I bought three manga at the store').

Common Mistakes

I like to watch manga on Netflix.
I like to watch anime on Netflix.
manga is a printed or digital comic; anime is the animated film or TV version of similar stories.
Mangas are very popular in Japan.
Manga is very popular in Japan.
when referring to the genre, manga is uncountable and does not take an -s plural.

2. one physical copy or issue of a Japanese comic, which may be a weekly magazine i

2.nounB2
Definition

one physical copy or issue of a Japanese comic, which may be a weekly magazine instalment or a collected paperback volume

Example

Asher bought the latest manga in the series from the bookstore near his school.

countable: a specific volume in a series

Each manga in that collection costs about two hundred dollars at the local comic shop.

countable: referring to individual copies

Common collocations
  • latest manga
  • buy a manga
  • manga volume
  • manga issue
  • collector's manga
Synonyms
  • volume

    a single book in a series; commonly used for manga collections (e.g. 'Volume 3')

  • issue

    a single instalment of a periodical; manga chapters are often first published in weekly or monthly magazine issues

  • graphic novel

    a longer standalone comic book; sometimes used as a synonym for a thick collected manga volume

Grammar Patterns

a/an + manga

number + manga (plural unchanged)

Usage Note

The plural of manga when it is countable remains manga (not mangas), following the Japanese pattern where the word does not change for number.

Common Mistakes

She owns five mangas from that series.
She owns five manga from that series.
manga does not add -s in the plural, even when countable.

Word family

  • mangaka
    nounC1
  • anime
    nounB1
  • comic
    nounA2
  • graphic novel
    nounB2
  • manhwa
    nounC1
  • manhua
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Manga refers specifically to Japanese-origin comics, distinct from the broader term comic, which covers any picture-story from any culture. A graphic novel is typically a longer, self-contained book-length story, whereas manga stories often first appear as serialised chapters in magazines before being collected into volumes. Manhwa (Korean comics) and manhua (Chinese comics) are the Korean and Chinese equivalents, respectively. They share similar visual styles and reading conventions but differ in cultural origin, artistic traditions, and reading direction (manhwa is read left-to-right like English; manga is read right-to-left). For example, a reader who enjoys the Japanese series Naruto (manga) might also like the Korean series Tower of God (manhwa) or the Taiwanese series The King of Fighters (manhua), each reflecting its own cultural storytelling norms.

comic ↗graphic novelmanhwamanhua

Common collocations

Nouns

  • manga series
  • manga artist
  • manga magazine
  • manga collection
  • manga fan
  • manga industry
  • manga adaptation

Adverbs

  • widely read
  • originally published
  • heavily influenced

Phrases

  • read manga
  • publish manga
  • collect manga
  • draw manga
  • translate manga

Prepositions

  • in manga
  • from manga
  • based on manga

Etymology

JapaneseEnglish

Manga comes from Japanese 漫画 (manga), where 漫 (man) means 'involuntary, whimsical, or unrestrained' and 画 (ga) means 'picture' or 'drawing'. The term was first popularised in the early 19th century by the artist Katsushika Hokusai, who used it for his series of sketchbooks called Hokusai Manga. It entered English in the mid-20th century as Japanese comics gained international popularity.