Manhua Immersion: Why & How to Learn Mandarin Chinese Through Comic Books

Want to level up your Chinese reading skills but are bored to tears by dry textbooks? Are learner materials too easy but Chinese novels are still too hard? Then the answer is reading màn-huà (漫畫・漫画, "comics"). It turns out that comic books offer learners one of the most engaging, context-rich, and enjoyable ways to immerse in the language. And thanks to the limited text and visual context clues, manhua are a lot more approachable than books.

Why Learn Mandarin Through Chinese Comics?

Here are five good reasons why you should learn Mandarin Chinese through comic books.

① The Visual Context of Comics Enhances Comprehension

Comics represent a welcome blend between art and language. Not only are the drawings fun to look at, but they also create context and help you more easily decode the text without having to run for the dictionary every two seconds!

② Comics Provide Exposure to Natural, Everyday Language

Chinese comics, especially those set in modern-day settings, expose you to colloquial expressions, idioms, and slang that you won't find in textbooks. You’re not just learning “standard Mandarin”; you're getting a taste of how people actually speak.

③ Comics Provide Cultural Immersion

Comics help you immerse yourself not just in the Chinese language, but also Chinese culture. As you read, you can learn about important cultural norms, historical events, and prevailing social attitudes. That said, keep in mind that comics usually include extraordinary scenarios and narratives to keep things interesting.

④ Comics Let You Learn Through Stories

I'm a big fan of story-based learning, and comics are one of the best ways to pick up new words and structures as you enjoy compelling narratives. When you’re invested in the characters and plot, you’re more likely to stick with the material and enjoy the learning process along the way.

💡 For a more comprehensive way to learn Mandarin through stories, check out Chinese Uncovered.

⑤ Comics Are Extensive & Cover a Wide Range of Topics

Interest is one of the most important factors of sticking with a language long enough to reach fluency. And with so many genres and topics available, you are bound to find a comic that fits your particular set of interests. And once you find a comic you love, you can look forward to dozens―if not hundreds―of volumes!

How to Learn Mandarin Through Chinese Comics

The most important thing to do is simply read a lot of comics you enjoy. The more you read, the better your skills will get. That said, here are a few tips to help you get more out of comics and smooth out a few of the likely bumps in your manhua journey.

Boost Comprehension with Plot Summaries & Dictionaries

When you understand the gist of what you're reading, you will learn more and get more pleasure. To that end, read summaries on Wikipedia to get a rough idea of key characters and plot points, and look up a few new words using Pleco. It even has an OCR (optical character recognition) add-on that lets you simply point your camera at the text!

💡 For more recommended dictionaries and reference tools, see my post Dive into Mandarin: The 10 Best Reference Tools to Explore Chinese Language & Culture.

Read Aloud to Practice Pronunciation

While reading comics silently will boost your reading comprehension, I recommend trying to read aloud whenever possible. This helps your practice pronunciation and tones, and reinforces the connection between written characters and the spoken language.

Enjoy Comics as Part of a Complete Chinese Breakfast

Comics are great learning tools, but they shouldn't be your only Chinese resource. To ensure more well-rounded language skills, combine them with listening to podcasts, watching Chinese shows on Netflix, using spaced repetition flashcards, and working one-on-one with an online tutor.

Where to Find Chinese Comics

Chinese comic books can be a little tough to find outside of China and Taiwan, but here are some good places to source physical and digital manhua.

Amazon & Amazon China

Your home country Amazon store will likely have a limited number of Chinese-language comics, but with the advantage of free shipping for Prime Members. And you can easily buy Kindle titles.

Using Amazon China expands the number of series dramatically, but entails international shipping times and fees. It's also very difficult to get Kindle titles from China onto a device tied to a non-Chinese account.

Books.com.tw

Books.com.tw, or Bó-kè-lái Wǎn-glù Shū-diàn (博客來網路書店) in Mandarin, is Taiwan’s largest online book retailer, and one of the best places to find Chinese comics (especially in traditional characters).

💡 Pro Tip: You can choose to display the Books.com.tw site in Traditional Chinese (繁體中文), Simplified Chinese (简体中文), or English by clicking the link by the globe icon in the upper-right corner.

Comic Bus / 8 Comic

Comic Bus, or Wú-xiàn Màn-huà (無限漫畫, lit. “Unlimited Comics”), includes massive quantities of free Chinese-language comic books that you can read online.

DM5

The DM5 site and app bring you hundreds of Chinese comics in simplified Chinese. Choose from a wide range of genres, including adventure, comedy, history, romance, sci-fi, sports, and more.

Kinokuniya

If you want to browse rows of Chinese comics in person, consider visiting a Kinokuniya (紀伊国屋) branch near you. Though the bookstore chain focuses mostly on Japanese-language content, many also stock Chinese-language comics, too. Alternatively, you can order comics online using their website.

WebToon

WebToon allows you to read hundreds of comics for free online! To access Chinese-language content, scroll all the way to the bottom of the site, click on the language dropdown in the lower-right, and select 中文 (繁體).

YesAsia

YesAsia offers a decent variety of Chinese comic books, including many popular Japanese manga titles that have been translated into Chinese. To find Chinese comics:

1. Hover over Chinese is the top menu.

2. Select Comics from the dropdown menu.

3. Choose from spotlighted releases, translated comics, or original Chinese comic series.

Recommended Chinese Comics to Get You Started

There are tons of Chinese-language comic books to choose from, but here are but a few suggestions to help you get started. As you’ll see, many of these were originally Japanese manga that have been translated into Chinese.

Doraemon

Doraemon, or ドラえもん in the original Japanese, is a popular comic that has been translated into numerous languages. In Chinese, it is known as Duō-lā Ā Mèng (哆啦A夢). The story centers on a robotic cat sent back in time from the 22nd century to help a young boy who is mercilessly bullied at school.

One Piece

One Piece is one of the best selling comic series of all time. It has earned its fame thanks to enjoyable art, an entertaining storyline, and a unique collection of characters.  The comic’s protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, or Méng-qí Di Lǔ-fū (蒙其·D·魯夫) in Mandarin, is a teenage pirate who gained the bizarre ability to stretch his limbs to extreme lengths after consuming a supernatural fruit. Together with his motley crew of “Straw Hats Pirates,” they navigate the globe in search of the ultimate treasure, called the “One Piece.”

Note that the comic is known by two different names in Chinese depending on the region:

• Háng-hǎi-wáng (航海王) in China and Taiwan

• Hǎi-zéi-wáng (海賊王) in Hong Kong

Ranma One-Half

Ranma ½, called Luàn-mǎ Èr-fēn-zhī-yī (亂馬½・乱马½) in Mandarin and Ran-ma Ni-bun-no-ichi (らんま½) in the original Japanese, is a comedic series about a teenage martial artist named Zǎo-yǐ-nǚ Luàn-mǎ (早乙女亂馬) who transforms into a girl when exposed to cold water and back into a boy when exposed to hot water.

Siye Meimei (Yotsubato)

Sì-yè Mèi-mei (四葉妹妹) is a great option for Chinese language learners since it uses simpler language and focuses on the daily practical matters faced by the protagonist, a curious five-year-old girl named Xiǎo-yán-jǐng Sìyè (小岩井四葉).

💡 Pro Tip: Note that the comic is called Yotsubato (よつばと!) in Japanese, and the lead is named KO-IWA-I Yotsuba (小岩井よつば).

The Adventures of Tintin

Though dated and not without its historical controversies, The Adventures of Tintin, known as Dīng-dīng Lì-xiǎn-jì (丁丁歷險記 · 丁丁历险记) in Mandarin, is a decent option for learners given its simple plots and language usage. The lead characters, Tintin and his dog Snowy, are called Dīng-dīng (丁丁) and Mǐ-lǔ (米魯) in Mandarin.

The Cat Emperor and His Friends

The Cat Emperor and His Friends, or Jiù Xǐ-huān Nǐ Kàn Bù Guàn Wǒ Yòu Gān Bù Diào Wǒ De Yàng-zi (就喜欢你看不惯我又干不掉我的样子, lit. “I Like that You Don’t Like What I Do, But Can Do Nothing About It”) in Chinese, tells the the story of a cat named “Emperor,” a character which came to fame on Chiba’s Weibo microblog.

The Ravages of Time

The Ravages of Time, or Huǒ Fèng Liáo-yuán (火鳳燎原・火凤燎原, lit. “The Fiery Phoenix Razes the Steppes”) in Chinese, is a loosely historical tale based on people and events of the late Hàn Cháo (漢朝, “Han Dynasty”) and Sān-guó Shí-dài (三國時代, “Three Kingdoms Period”). The story centers on Sī-mǎ Yì (司馬懿), a famous general and regent in the state of  Cáo-wèi (曹魏).

💡 For more Chinese comic recommendations, see Chinese Forums’ Grand Comic Reading Project and Reddit's r/ChineseLanguage and r/Manhua subreddits.

Chinese comics are an excellent way to bring joy and variety into your Mandarin language learning journey. Whether you're just beginning or are an intermediate learner looking to expand your vocabulary and cultural knowledge, the world of màn-huà offers a colorful and engaging way to immerse yourself in the language right at home.

💡 The above post was adapted from my detailed immersion guide Master Mandarin: How to Learn Mandarin Chinese Anywhere in the World. Check out the book for more tips and tools to immerse yourself in Mandarin Chinese anywhere, anytime.