チョーク
ちょーく
noun
chalk
1.
chalk
A stick of calcium carbonate or gypsum used for writing on blackboards. The standard word for classroom chalk in Japanese.
チョークで字を書く。
To write letters with chalk.
白いチョークが折れてしまった。
The white chalk broke.
先生が黒板にチョークで数式を書いている。
The teacher is writing a mathematical formula on the blackboard with chalk.
チョークの粉で手が白くなった。
My hands turned white from chalk dust.
A loanword from English "chalk." This is the standard word used in Japanese schools. Although many Japanese classrooms have shifted to whiteboards and markers, chalk and blackboards remain common, especially in public schools.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- チョークで書く: to write with chalk
- チョークの粉: chalk dust
- 色チョーク: colored chalk
- チョークを持つ: to hold chalk
- チョーク入れ: chalk holder/case
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 白墨: chalk — the Sino-Japanese term; formal and somewhat old-fashioned
- マーカー: marker — used on whiteboards, the modern alternative
CULTURAL NOTE:
The phrase チョーク芸 (chalk art) refers to the skill of drawing impressive diagrams or illustrations on a blackboard, valued among Japanese teachers.