鉛筆

• Reading: えんぴつ
• Romaji: enpitsu
• Kanji breakdown: 鉛 (en/namari) — lead (metal); 筆 (hitsu/fude) — writing brush, pen
• Pronunciation: /e.ɴ.pi.tsɯ/

Meaning

Pencil. A wooden writing instrument with a graphite core.

The standard writing tool in Japanese elementary schools. Students typically use 2B pencils, which are softer and darker than the HB pencils common in Western countries. Mechanical pencils (シャープペンシル or シャーペン) are more commonly used by older students.

Examples

1. 鉛筆で手紙を書きました。 I wrote a letter with a pencil.
2. 鉛筆が短くなりました。 The pencil has gotten short.
3. テストは鉛筆で書いてください。 Please write the test in pencil.

Usage Guide

Context: school, office, study

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 鉛 (en, lead) + 筆 (hitsu/fude, writing brush). Literally 'lead brush,' though modern pencils use graphite rather than actual lead.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji era

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal