黑板

• Pinyin: hēi bǎn
• Hanzi breakdown: 黑 (hēi) — black; 板 (bǎn) — board, plank

Meaning

Blackboard; chalkboard. The writing surface used in classrooms for teaching.

A standard feature of Chinese classrooms. Teachers write on it with chalk. Still widely used alongside modern whiteboards and digital screens. Common in school-related vocabulary.

Examples

1. 老师在黑板上写了几个字。 The teacher wrote a few characters on the blackboard.
2. 请看黑板，这是今天的生词。 Please look at the blackboard — these are today's new words.
3. 他把黑板擦干净了。 He cleaned the blackboard.

Usage Guide

Context: school, classroom, education

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请把黑板上的字抄下来。(Please copy down the words on the blackboard.)
• 谁来擦黑板？(Who will clean the blackboard?)

Don't Say

• 不要把白板叫黑板 (Don't call a whiteboard 黑板 — use 白板 for a whiteboard)

Origin & History

Compound of 黑 (black) and 板 (board). Named for its traditional dark-colored surface.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal