シャーペン
しゃーぺん
noun
mechanical pencil
1.
mechanical pencil; propelling pencil
A pencil that uses replaceable thin lead, advanced by clicking or twisting. The standard everyday term in Japanese.
シャーペンの芯がなくなった。
My mechanical pencil ran out of lead.
シャーペンを貸してもらえますか。
Could you lend me a mechanical pencil?
試験ではシャーペンが使えないので、鉛筆を用意してください。
Mechanical pencils can't be used on the exam, so please prepare pencils.
A shortened form of シャープペンシル (sharp pencil), itself from the brand name "Ever-Ready Sharp Pencil" by the company that became Sharp Corporation. The abbreviated form シャーペン is far more common in everyday speech.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- シャーペンの芯: mechanical pencil lead
- シャーペンの替え芯: replacement lead
- 0.5ミリのシャーペン: 0.5mm mechanical pencil
- シャーペンで書く: to write with a mechanical pencil
SIMILAR WORDS:
- シャープペンシル: mechanical pencil — the full, formal name; used in product listings and formal writing
- 鉛筆: pencil — the traditional wooden pencil
- ボールペン: ballpoint pen — another common writing instrument
CULTURAL NOTE:
Standardized exams in Japan (such as the 共通テスト) typically require regular pencils and do not allow mechanical pencils, which students learn early on.