日本動畫 / 日本动画
Rìběn dònghuà
In Chinese, anime is translated as 日本動畫 / 日本动画 (Rìběn dònghuà). Wiktionary also lists 動畫 / 动画 (dònghuà) and 日本卡通 (Rìběn kǎtōng).
Meaning: an animated work originated in Japan (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 日本動畫 / 日本动画 | Rìběn dònghuà | |
| 動畫 / 动画 | dònghuà | |
| 日本卡通 | Rìběn kǎtōng | |
| 日式動畫 / 日式动画 | Rìshì dònghuà | |
| 動漫 / 动漫 | dòngmàn | proscribed |
The term refers to animated works originating from Japan. While 動畫 / 动画 is the general term for animation, several specific terms are used to describe the medium or its cultural context. One common term, 動漫 / 动漫, is a portmanteau used to refer to the entire subculture of Japanese-style animation and comics.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 動畫 / 动画 literally means 'moving pictures' or 'animation'.
Which one should you use?
日本動畫 / 日本动画 specifically identifies a work as being Japanese animation, whereas 動畫 / 动画 is the general term for any animation. Additionally, 動漫 / 动漫 is a combination of the words for animation and comics.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwan, people may use the term 日本卡通 to refer to both Western cartoons and anime.
How do you pronounce it?
Rìběn dònghuà
What mistakes should you avoid?
Note that 動漫 / 动漫 is proscribed.
Did you know?
- In some contexts, the word 卡通 is used for 'cartoons'. While it sounds like the English word 'cartoon', it is often reserved for Western-style animation to distinguish it from the aesthetic of 動畫.
- The use of 日式 in 日式動畫 acts as a modifier meaning 'Japanese-style'. This allows speakers to describe animation that looks like anime but was actually produced in China or the US.
- The word 動畫 / 动画 is composed of characters meaning 'move' and 'picture'. This mirrors the logic of the Japanese word 'anime', which is a shortening of 'animēshon', derived from the English 'animation'.
Examples in context
- 我喜欢看动画片，特别是日本的动漫作品。I enjoy watching anime, especially Japanese anime productions.
- 我鐘意睇卡通，特別係日本嘅動畫作品。I like watching anime, especially Japanese anime productions.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “anime” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
