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漫才 (まんざい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N1 Freq. Frequency Top 20,000 Meanings 1
noun
manzai ; comic dialogue ; two-person comedy act
A traditional Japanese stand-up comedy style typically performed by a duo (boke and tsukkomi) with fast-paced, humorous dialogue; occasionally includes short skits.
See also: 万歳 (まんざい)
彼かれ は 高こう 校こう 時じ 代だい から 漫まん 才ざい に 憧あこが れ て い た 。
He had admired manzai since his high school days.
Written forms 漫まん 才ざい Usage 96%
Standard kanji spelling for the comedic performance style.
マンザイ Usage 3%
まんざい Usage 1%
万まん 才ざい
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.
Kanji 漫 cartoon, involuntarily, unrestrained 才 genius, years old, cubic shaku Similar words コント Refers to a short comic sketch or skit, often with a setting and props, whereas manzai is primarily a dialogue-based stand-up routine.
落らく 語ご A traditional solo storytelling art where a single performer sits and narrates a humorous story, distinct from the duo format of manzai.
Etymology Originally derived from 万歳 (banzai), a celebratory chant, which evolved into a comedic performance style in the Kansai region. The kanji 漫 (random, comic) replaced 万 (ten thousand) to reflect its humorous nature.
