How to Say "Chalk" in Italian

gesso

/ˈd͡ʒɛs.so/

The English word "chalk" is translated into Italian as gesso.

gesso refers to a piece of chalk used for drawing and on a blackboard.

Meaning: a piece of chalk used for drawing and on a blackboard (noun)

Which one should you use?

The diminutive form gessetto is often used to refer to a small stick of chalk.

The plural form of gesso is gessi.

The word has two syllables and the stress is on the first syllable: /ˈdʒɛs.so/.

The word gesso is also used in the medical field to describe a 'cast' for a broken limb. An Italian patient might ask for a gesso to fix a broken arm, which sounds quite different from a classroom setting.
The word gesso refers not only to chalkboard chalk but also to the white primer used by painters to prepare a canvas before applying oil paint.
The English word 'gypsum' and the Italian word gesso share the same linguistic ancestor, the Ancient Greek word γύψος. This connection links the modern English mineral name directly to the Italian word for a simple piece of chalk.

Ha un po' di gesso?
Do you have some chalk?
This example is useful for asking if someone has some gesso.
Tatoeba #6941772 by Guybrush88, translation #6941764 by OsoHombre
Dammi un pezzo di gesso.
Give me a piece of chalk.
This example is useful for asking someone to give you a piece of gesso.
Tatoeba #717838 by Guybrush88, translation #40112 by CK
Quel gesso non è giallo.
That chalk isn't yellow.
This example is useful for describing the color of a piece of gesso.
Tatoeba #4153545 by Guybrush88, translation #4153543 by mervert1
Mi puoi passare il gesso, per favore?
Can you pass me the chalk, please?
21 more sentences on Tatoeba

Giulia and Matteo are in a classroom preparing for a lesson.

Sources

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