漫画本
mangahon
The English phrase "comic book" can be translated into Japanese as 漫画本 (mangahon). Wiktionary also lists コミックス (komikkusu) and コミックブック (komikkubukku).
Meaning: book or magazine (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 漫画本 | mangahon |
| コミックス | komikkusu |
| コミックブック | komikkubukku |
The term refers to a comic book or magazine. In everyday conversation, Japanese speakers often omit the "book" part and simply refer to the medium or the specific work as 漫画.
What does it mean word for word?
漫画本 (mangahon) is a compound of 漫画 (manga), meaning "comics/cartoon" and 本 (hon), meaning "book".
Which one should you use?
While 漫画本 is a general term for a manga book, コミックス (komikkusu) is often used specifically to refer to collected volumes (tankōbon) of a serialized series. The term コミックブック (komikkubukku) is also available as a loanword.
How do you pronounce it?
mangahon
Did you know?
- Because 漫画 are typically read from right to left, the 'front' cover is what English speakers would consider the 'back' cover.
- The term 漫画 literally means 'free and whimsical pictures', reflecting an artistic philosophy of spontaneity rather than just 'comics'.
- While 漫画 is the general term, Japanese has a specific word 貸本 (kashihon) for rental comic books. This refers to a historical system where specialized shops rented out comics to people who could not afford to buy them.
Examples in context
- 最新のマンガがすごく面白いよ！The latest manga is extremely interesting!
Example conversation
Hina and Ren are talking in a bookstore.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮、この漫画本を見て。Ren, kono mangahon o mite.Ren, look at this comic book.
- 蓮 Ren面白そうですね。読みましょう。Omoshirosou desu ne. Yomimashou.It looks interesting. Let's read it.
- 陽葵 Himariこの漫画本を買いましょうか？Kono mangahon o kaimashou ka?Shall we buy this comic book?
- 蓮 Renはい、ぜひ買いましょう。Hai, zehi kaimashou.Yes, let's definitely buy it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “comic book” translations and entries 漫画本, コミックス, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
