How to Translate Webtoons and Manhwa (Free)

Updated 2026 · ~5 min read

Korean manhwa and Chinese manhua are often released long before any official translation. If you don't want to wait — or read machine-translated screenshots one strip at a time — here's how to read webtoons in your own language, right on the page.

Why webtoons are tricky to translate

Webtoons aren't like a normal web page. The text is baked into the images, they're usually one long vertical scroll, and they're written in Korean, Chinese or Japanese. That combination breaks most translation tricks:

• You can't select or copy the text — it's part of the picture.
• Hover-dictionary extensions (like the ones for learning Japanese) need selectable text, so they don't work on webtoon images.
• Screenshotting each section into a translator, then scrolling, then repeating, is painfully slow on a long strip.

The best way: on-page AI translation

The cleanest solution is a browser extension that reads the text inside the image with OCR and overlays an AI translation directly on each speech bubble — without leaving the reader. Because it works on the image itself, it handles webtoons where dictionary tools can't, and it follows the long vertical scroll as you read.

MangaLens does exactly this for manhwa, manhua and manga, into 50+ languages, on Chrome, Edge and Firefox.

How to translate a webtoon, step by step

1. Install the extension for your browser (links above).
2. Sign in with a free account (Google or email).
3. Open the webtoon you're reading — any manhwa/manhua site you can already view.
4. Enable MangaLens on that site in the popup, then click the floating ✨ button.
5. Scroll and read. The translation appears on each panel as it comes into view, so you only translate what you actually read.

Manhwa, manhua or manga — does the setting matter?

Not really. Leave the source language on Auto and MangaLens detects whether it's Korean, Chinese or Japanese. For webtoons, reading direction is left-to-right and top-to-bottom, which is handled automatically — you just scroll.

Is it free?

Yes. After the 7-day Premium trial, you can keep translating for free by earning credits (watching ads), or buy credits only if you want to — there's no forced subscription. Premium unlocks higher-quality AI and Scanlation mode, which digitally erases the original text and typesets the translation cleanly for a native-looking read.

Tips for a smoother read

• Long strips: just keep scrolling — translation runs a little ahead of you, so it feels seamless.
• Set your language once in the popup and forget about it.
• Studying Korean or Chinese? Tap a bubble to switch between the original and the translation, and use read-aloud to hear the line.

The bottom line

Webtoons put the text inside the image, but that's not a wall anymore. Add an on-page translator, hit ✨, and read your favorite manhwa or manhua in your own language as you scroll.