(けいこう)ペン

けいこうぺん
noun
highlighter; highlighter pen
tool
1. highlighter; highlighter pen
A felt-tip marker with fluorescent ink used to mark text for emphasis.
I highlighted the important parts with a highlighter.
I forgot my highlighter, so please lend me one.
I use different colored highlighters for different purposes.

蛍光(けいこう)ペン is the standard term for a highlighter pen in Japanese. The name literally means "fluorescent pen."

Forms

蛍光(けいこう) (fluorescence) + ペン (pen). 蛍光(けいこう) uses the kanji for firefly ((ほたる)) and light ((ひかり)).

Common collocations

Alternate terms

  • マーカー / マーカーペン (marker pen — also common)
  • ハイライター (highlighter — loanword, less common in Japan)