"shonen" meaning in English

See shonen in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /ˈʃəʊ.nən/ [Received-Pronunciation], /ˈʃoʊ.nən/ [General-American] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-shonen.wav Forms: more shonen [comparative], most shonen [superlative], shōnen [alternative], shounen [alternative]
Rhymes: -əʊnən Etymology: From the Japanese 少年 (shōnen, “few years”). Etymology templates: {{uder|en|ja|少年||few years|tr=shōnen}} Japanese 少年 (shōnen, “few years”) Head templates: {{en-adj}} shonen (comparative more shonen, superlative most shonen)
  1. (anime, manga) Being in the style of shonen comics or animation. Coordinate_terms: shojo (english: female audience)
    Sense id: en-shonen-en-adj-ub9XwqvK Categories (other): Japanese fiction Topics: anime, broadcasting, comics, film, literature, manga, media, publishing, television

Noun

IPA: /ˈʃəʊ.nən/ [Received-Pronunciation], /ˈʃoʊ.nən/ [General-American] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-shonen.wav Forms: shōnen [alternative], shounen [alternative]
Rhymes: -əʊnən Etymology: From the Japanese 少年 (shōnen, “few years”). Etymology templates: {{uder|en|ja|少年||few years|tr=shōnen}} Japanese 少年 (shōnen, “few years”) Head templates: {{en-noun|-}} shonen (uncountable)
  1. (anime, manga) A style of Japanese animation and comics aimed at a younger male audience. Tags: uncountable Coordinate_terms: shōjo (english: young female audience), seinen (english: adult male audience), josei (english: adult female audience)
    Sense id: en-shonen-en-noun-pmIstfev Categories (other): Japanese fiction, English entries with incorrect language header, English undefined derivations, Pages with 4 entries, Pages with entries, Fiction, Manga genres Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 7 93 Disambiguation of English undefined derivations: 16 84 Disambiguation of Pages with 4 entries: 8 92 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 5 95 Disambiguation of Fiction: 41 59 Disambiguation of Manga genres: 26 74 Topics: anime, broadcasting, comics, film, literature, manga, media, publishing, television

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ja",
        "3": "少年",
        "4": "",
        "5": "few years",
        "tr": "shōnen"
      },
      "expansion": "Japanese 少年 (shōnen, “few years”)",
      "name": "uder"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From the Japanese 少年 (shōnen, “few years”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "shōnen",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "shounen",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "shonen (uncountable)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Japanese fiction",
          "orig": "en:Japanese fiction",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 93",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "16 84",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English undefined derivations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 92",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 4 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 95",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "41 59",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Fiction",
          "orig": "en:Fiction",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "26 74",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Manga genres",
          "orig": "en:Manga genres",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "coordinate_terms": [
        {
          "english": "young female audience",
          "translation": "young female audience",
          "word": "shōjo"
        },
        {
          "english": "adult male audience",
          "translation": "adult male audience",
          "word": "seinen"
        },
        {
          "english": "adult female audience",
          "translation": "adult female audience",
          "word": "josei"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A style of Japanese animation and comics aimed at a younger male audience."
      ],
      "id": "en-shonen-en-noun-pmIstfev",
      "links": [
        [
          "anime",
          "anime"
        ],
        [
          "manga",
          "manga"
        ],
        [
          "Japanese animation",
          "anime"
        ],
        [
          "comics",
          "manga"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(anime, manga) A style of Japanese animation and comics aimed at a younger male audience."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "anime",
        "broadcasting",
        "comics",
        "film",
        "literature",
        "manga",
        "media",
        "publishing",
        "television"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈʃəʊ.nən/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈʃoʊ.nən/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-shonen.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/eb/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-shonen.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-shonen.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/eb/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-shonen.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-shonen.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-əʊnən"
    }
  ],
  "word": "shonen"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ja",
        "3": "少年",
        "4": "",
        "5": "few years",
        "tr": "shōnen"
      },
      "expansion": "Japanese 少年 (shōnen, “few years”)",
      "name": "uder"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From the Japanese 少年 (shōnen, “few years”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more shonen",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most shonen",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "shōnen",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "shounen",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "shonen (comparative more shonen, superlative most shonen)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Japanese fiction",
          "orig": "en:Japanese fiction",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "coordinate_terms": [
        {
          "english": "female audience",
          "translation": "female audience",
          "word": "shojo"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Being in the style of shonen comics or animation."
      ],
      "id": "en-shonen-en-adj-ub9XwqvK",
      "links": [
        [
          "anime",
          "anime"
        ],
        [
          "manga",
          "manga"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(anime, manga) Being in the style of shonen comics or animation."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "anime",
        "broadcasting",
        "comics",
        "film",
        "literature",
        "manga",
        "media",
        "publishing",
        "television"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈʃəʊ.nən/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈʃoʊ.nən/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-shonen.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/eb/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-shonen.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-shonen.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/eb/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-shonen.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-shonen.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-əʊnən"
    }
  ],
  "word": "shonen"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Japanese",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "English undefined derivations",
    "Pages with 4 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/əʊnən",
    "Rhymes:English/əʊnən/2 syllables",
    "en:Fiction",
    "en:Manga genres"
  ],
  "coordinate_terms": [
    {
      "english": "young female audience",
      "translation": "young female audience",
      "word": "shōjo"
    },
    {
      "english": "adult male audience",
      "translation": "adult male audience",
      "word": "seinen"
    },
    {
      "english": "adult female audience",
      "translation": "adult female audience",
      "word": "josei"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ja",
        "3": "少年",
        "4": "",
        "5": "few years",
        "tr": "shōnen"
      },
      "expansion": "Japanese 少年 (shōnen, “few years”)",
      "name": "uder"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From the Japanese 少年 (shōnen, “few years”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "shōnen",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "shounen",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "shonen (uncountable)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Japanese fiction"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A style of Japanese animation and comics aimed at a younger male audience."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "anime",
          "anime"
        ],
        [
          "manga",
          "manga"
        ],
        [
          "Japanese animation",
          "anime"
        ],
        [
          "comics",
          "manga"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(anime, manga) A style of Japanese animation and comics aimed at a younger male audience."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "anime",
        "broadcasting",
        "comics",
        "film",
        "literature",
        "manga",
        "media",
        "publishing",
        "television"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈʃəʊ.nən/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈʃoʊ.nən/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-shonen.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/eb/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-shonen.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-shonen.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/eb/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-shonen.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-shonen.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-əʊnən"
    }
  ],
  "word": "shonen"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Japanese",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "English undefined derivations",
    "Pages with 4 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/əʊnən",
    "Rhymes:English/əʊnən/2 syllables",
    "en:Fiction",
    "en:Manga genres"
  ],
  "coordinate_terms": [
    {
      "english": "female audience",
      "translation": "female audience",
      "word": "shojo"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ja",
        "3": "少年",
        "4": "",
        "5": "few years",
        "tr": "shōnen"
      },
      "expansion": "Japanese 少年 (shōnen, “few years”)",
      "name": "uder"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From the Japanese 少年 (shōnen, “few years”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more shonen",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most shonen",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "shōnen",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "shounen",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "shonen (comparative more shonen, superlative most shonen)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Japanese fiction"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Being in the style of shonen comics or animation."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "anime",
          "anime"
        ],
        [
          "manga",
          "manga"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(anime, manga) Being in the style of shonen comics or animation."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "anime",
        "broadcasting",
        "comics",
        "film",
        "literature",
        "manga",
        "media",
        "publishing",
        "television"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈʃəʊ.nən/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈʃoʊ.nən/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-shonen.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/eb/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-shonen.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-shonen.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/eb/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-shonen.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-shonen.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-əʊnən"
    }
  ],
  "word": "shonen"
}

Download raw JSONL data for shonen meaning in English (4.3kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-12-23 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-12-02 using wiktextract (6fdc867 and 9905b1f). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.