黒板

• Reading: こくばん
• Romaji: kokuban
• Kanji breakdown: 黒 (koku/kuro) — black; 板 (ban/ita) — board, plank
• Pronunciation: /ko.kɯ.baɴ/

Meaning

Blackboard; chalkboard. The board at the front of a classroom used by teachers for writing.

A compound noun combining 黒 (black) and 板 (board). Despite many Japanese schools now using whiteboards or digital screens, 黒板 remains a widely recognized and commonly used word, especially at the elementary and middle school level.

Examples

1. 先生が黒板に漢字を書きました。 The teacher wrote kanji on the blackboard.
2. 黒板の字が小さくて読めません。 The writing on the blackboard is too small to read.
3. 黒板を消してもいいですか。 May I erase the blackboard?

Usage Guide

Context: school, classroom, teaching

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

A straightforward compound of 黒 (black) and 板 (board), directly describing the traditional dark-coloured writing surface used in classrooms.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal