Read the world, one guide at a time.
How to translate Japanese, decode a menu, and read manga in English, from the people building the camera translator that does it for you.
How to learn Japanese with manga
Manga teaches Japanese fast: furigana readings, natural dialogue, repetition. The method, plus why 91% of ongoing manga never get an English release.
How to learn Korean with webtoons
Webtoons teach real spoken Korean better than a textbook: short lines, natural dialogue, visual context. Here's the method, with a worked example.
Manga vs manhwa vs manhua: the real differences
Manga is Japanese and reads right to left. Manhwa is Korean, left to right, mostly color. Manhua is Chinese, closer to manhwa. Here is what actually changes on the page.
Manga sound effects meaning: what your translator app skips
Manga sound effects are hand lettered into the artwork, so cameras and translator apps usually skip them. Here's what the common ones actually mean.
Scanlation vs official translation: what's actually different
Scanlation is faster and free but unlicensed. Official translation is legal but often never happens. Here's the real comparison, with our own licensing data.
Hiragana vs katakana
Hiragana writes native Japanese grammar and words. Katakana writes foreign loanwords, names and sound effects. Here's how to tell them apart on sight.
How much manga is never translated into English?
We sampled 560 manga series from 2010 to 2023 in the MangaUpdates database. 86% of non-adult titles never received an official English release. Method and data included.
Japanese honorifics: san, kun, chan, sama, sensei
San, kun, chan, sama and sensei are the honorific suffixes attached to Japanese names. Here is what each one signals, who uses it, and how to avoid the common mix ups.
What does “baka” mean?
Baka (馬鹿) means idiot, fool or stupid, but how rude it lands depends entirely on tone and relationship. Here's when it's playful and when it actually stings.
What does “senpai” mean?
Senpai (先輩) means a senior: someone who joined your school, club or company before you did, regardless of age. Kouhai is the junior. Here's how the pair really works.
Hiragana and katakana chart
The full hiragana and katakana chart: 46 base kana each, plus dakuten and yoon, with romaji, the look-alike traps, and the order to learn them in.
What does “kawaii” mean?
Kawaii (可愛い) means cute or adorable in Japanese, but it covers looks, behavior and a whole aesthetic. Here's how it's really used, and the word not to confuse it with.
How to read Hangul
Hangul is 24 letters built into syllable blocks, not a line of text. Here's how the blocks work, the sounds that trip beginners up, and how to start reading tonight.
What does “saranghae” mean?
Saranghae (사랑해) means “I love you” in Korean, the casual, intimate form. Here's what the word literally says, how to pronounce it, and when Koreans really use it.
Best Japanese translator app, by what you are translating
No single app wins. Google Translate covers travel, DeepL handles written text, dedicated readers solve manga. Here is which Japanese translator fits which problem.
Google Lens alternatives, for translation specifically
Six Google Lens alternatives compared for translation: what each one is best at, what it costs, and the one job Lens genuinely does better than all of them.
Can Google Lens translate manga?
Google Lens can read manga, but it scrambles vertical bubbles and drops a caption over the art. Where it works, where it breaks, and what to use instead.
Korean phrases for travelers
The Korean phrases that actually matter for travelers: greetings, food, directions, emergencies, plus how to read everything else the moment you need it.
Papago alternatives, by the gap you are filling
Papago is strong on Korean nuance and weak on webtoons and offline use. Here are the alternatives that cover each gap, and when to just keep using Papago.
Papago vs Google Translate for Korean
Papago handles Korean nuance and slang better, Google Translate covers more languages and works offline. Here is which one to use for chat, travel, and webtoons.
How to say I love you in Korean
Saranghae is I love you in Korean, but couples usually confess with a different word first. Here's the real order, the formality levels, and when to use which.
How to say thank you in Korean
Gamsahamnida is the safe default, but Korean thanks shift with who's listening. Here's every level, from gomawo with friends to the phrase for hard work.
How to say thank you in Chinese
Xiexie (谢谢) is how you say thank you in Mandarin Chinese, but the reply back isn't obvious to English speakers. Here's when to use it and how to answer.
How to say hello in Chinese
Ni hao is the default hello in Mandarin, but there's a more respectful version, a casual one, and a separate phone greeting. Here's which one fits which moment.
How to say yes and no in Japanese
Hai means yes and iie means no in Japanese, but iie is rare in real speech. Here's what people say instead, and why hai doesn't always mean agreement.
How to say sorry in Japanese
Sorry in Japanese has four real levels: gomen, gomen nasai, sumimasen and moushiwake gozaimasen. Here's which one fits a friend, a boss or a stranger.
How to say excuse me in Japanese
Sumimasen is the one Japanese word that gets attention, apologizes, and says thank you, all depending on tone. Here's when to use it and when a different word fits better.
Good morning in Japanese
Ohayou gozaimasu is the polite good morning, ohayou is the casual one. Here's exactly when to use each, the slang version, and how to answer it back.
How to say goodbye in Japanese
Sayonara is the textbook goodbye in Japanese, but native speakers barely use it. Here's what they say instead, at work, with friends, and on the phone.
How to translate Chinese from a photo
Import a photo of Chinese text and OCR reads it in place, no retyping. Works on menus, street signs and product labels, Simplified and Traditional alike.
Where is the bathroom in Japanese
Where is the bathroom in Japanese is otearai wa doko desu ka. Here's that phrase plus how to read the door once you get there, konbini, and stations.
How much is this in Japanese?
How much is this in Japanese is ikura desu ka. Here's how to ask it, understand the yen number you hear back, and read a price tag you can't make out.
How to order food in Japanese
How to order food in Japanese: greet the staff, ask for recommendations, check for allergies, and pay, plus what to do when you can't read the menu at all.
Chinese menu translator: dishes, spice and allergies
Point your phone at a Chinese menu and read it in English where the characters were. How to spot dim sum, gauge spice, and check allergies before ordering.
How to translate Japanese signs
Point your camera at a Japanese sign and read the English right where it sat. Station boards, street signs and warnings, plus the ones worth knowing by sight.
How to translate Japanese from a photo
Translate Japanese from a photo by importing the image into a translator that writes English back in the same spot. Screenshots work too, and no typing.
Korean menu translator: read any menu in Seoul
Point your phone at a Korean menu and read it in English, right where the Hangul was. Plus the dish and allergy words worth knowing before you order in Seoul.
Menu translator app: what actually works
A good menu translator app reads the menu in place, dishes still lined up with prices. Here's what separates the ones that work from the rest.
Where to read raw manhwa for free
Raw manhwa is free by default, it just means the Korean chapter on Naver or Kakao before anyone licenses it. Here's where it lives and how to read it in English.
How to translate manhua to English
Translate manhua to English by importing a page and tapping a speech bubble: the Chinese swaps for English in place, panel by panel, vertical strips too.
What does raw manga mean?
Raw manga means the original untranslated Japanese release. Here's exactly what that covers, plus how to actually read one yourself, today.
Best manga translator app: an honest comparison
The best manga translator app reads text straight off the page and swaps it inside the same speech bubble, sized to fit. Here's how the options compare.
How to translate a webtoon
Translating a webtoon means swapping text bubble by bubble as you scroll, not screenshotting the whole strip. Here's the method that keeps panels in place.
The best korean webtoon translator isn't a browser extension
The best korean webtoon translator swaps Hangul for English inside the speech bubble, fitted to the shape. Here's how it beats a browser extension.
How to read manhwa in English
Read manhwa in English through official apps like Webtoon and Tapas, or translate raw Korean chapters yourself the day they drop, one bubble at a time.
How to read Japanese
Japanese uses three scripts at once. Here's what hiragana, katakana and kanji each do, the order to learn them, and how to start reading real Japanese today.
How to say hello in Japanese
Konnichiwa is only the daytime hello. Here's how to greet in Japanese by time of day, say goodbye, thank you and sorry, with readings and when to use each.
How to say hello in Korean
Annyeonghaseyo is the polite hello, but there's a casual one, a phone one, and two different goodbyes. Here's how to greet in Korean without the awkwardness.
How to say I love you in Japanese
“Aishiteru” isn't the everyday “I love you.” Here's the real difference between suki, daisuki and aishiteru, and what Japanese people actually say.
How to say thank you in Japanese
Arigatou is only the start. Here's how to say thank you in Japanese at every level, casual to very polite, plus the thanks for a meal, for work, and how to reply.
How to translate a Japanese menu
Point your phone at the menu and read it in English, right where the Japanese was. How to translate a Japanese menu, decode dishes, and order with confidence.
How to translate Chinese to English
Point your camera at Chinese characters and read them in English in place, on signs, menus and labels. Plus how to handle photos, text and pinyin.
How to translate Japanese to English
Seven ways to translate Japanese to English, camera, photo, text, voice and manga, with the pros, cons and accuracy of each. A practical 2026 guide.
How to translate Korean to English
Translate Korean to English the right way for each thing, signs and menus by camera, manhwa and webtoons in-bubble, messages by text, replaced in place.
How to translate manga to English
The easiest way to translate manga to English: import a page, tap a speech bubble, and read the Japanese rewritten in place. Works on raw scans and webtoons.
Japanese for travelers
The Japanese phrases that actually matter in Japan, greetings, food, directions, emergencies, plus how to read anything else on the spot, sign by sign.
Japanese numbers 1 to 10
Japanese numbers 1 to 10 with readings and kanji, why 4 and 7 have two forms, counting to 100, and the counter words that trip everyone up. A quick, clear guide.
How to read raw manga in English
Caught up and stuck on raw Japanese chapters? Here's how to read raw manga in English yourself, instantly, in place, without waiting for a fan translation.
What does “daijoubu” mean?
Daijoubu (大丈夫) means “it's okay / I'm fine,” but it's also a polite “no thanks.” Here's what it really means, how to use it, and how to tell yes from no.
What is your name in Japanese?
Your name in Japanese is written in katakana, by sound. Here's how it works, how to say “what is your name?”, and how to translate your own name correctly.