黒板消(こくばんけ)し

Compound of 黒板(こくばん) (blackboard) + 消(け)し (eraser, from 消(け)す 'to erase'). A familiar item in Japanese schools where chalkboards are still widely used.

Common collocations

• 黒板消(こくばんけ)しで消(け)す: to erase with a blackboard eraser
• 黒板消(こくばんけ)しを叩(たた)く: to clap erasers (to clean them)
• 黒板消(こくばんけ)しクリーナー: eraser cleaning machine

Cultural note

In Japanese schools, students take turns as 日直(にっちょく) (daily duty student), and one common task is cleaning the blackboard erasers by clapping them together outdoors. This is a widely shared memory of school life. As a prank, students sometimes balance a 黒板消(こくばんけ)し on top of a partially open door so it falls on whoever enters.

Similar words

• 消(け)しゴム: rubber eraser (for pencil) — for paper, not blackboards
• 黒板(こくばん): blackboard — the board itself
• ホワイトボードマーカー消(け)し: whiteboard eraser — for whiteboards, not chalkboards