Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| pizarra blanca | /piθara blanka/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /pisara blanka/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
| pizarra | /piˈθara/ /piˈsara/ |
feminine |
| pizarrón albo | /piθaron albo/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /pisaron albo/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
A whiteboard is a large vertical writing area. While pizarra blanca specifically refers to a white surface, the shortened form pizarra is often used generically to refer to any classroom board, including traditional chalkboards.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase pizarra blanca is composed of pizarra (slate/board) and blanca (white).
Which one should you use?
While pizarra blanca specifically means whiteboard, the shortened form pizarra is often used generically to refer to any classroom board, including traditional chalkboards. The form pizarrón is a common augmentative used to denote a larger version of a pizarra.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Pizarra blanca is the standard term for whiteboard in Spain. Pizarrón blanco is an alternative term for white board more commonly used in Mexico.
How does it change in a sentence?
pizarra is feminine and pizarrón is masculine. To make the phrase plural, both the noun and the adjective must be pluralized.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the masculine blanco instead of the feminine blanca to match the feminine noun pizarra.
Did you know?
- The word pizarra is likely an adaptation of the Basque phrase lapitz-arri, meaning 'slate stone'. Early speakers may have mistaken the Basque prefix la- for the Spanish feminine article la.
- Because pizarra originally referred to the natural stone used for writing, the term for 'whiteboard' is literally a 'white slate', even though the material is plastic.
Examples in context
- Por favor, necesito que alguien se acerque a la pizarra blanca para resolver el ejercicio.Please, I need someone to come to the whiteboard to solve the exercise.
- Necesito comprar una pizarra blanca para la oficina.I need to buy a whiteboard for the office.
- La profesora escribe en la pizarra blanca.The teacher writes on the whiteboard.
- Esa pizarra blanca es demasiado pequeña.That whiteboard is too small.
Example conversation
Mateo and María are in a classroom.
- MateoMaría, ¿tienes el marcador para la pizarra blanca?María, do you have the marker for the whiteboard?
- MaríaSí, Mateo, está sobre la mesa.Yes, Mateo, it is on the table.
- MateoGracias, voy a borrar la pizarra blanca ahora.Thanks, I'm going to erase the whiteboard now.
- MaríaPerfecto, así podemos empezar la clase.Perfect, that way we can start the class.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “whiteboard” translations and entries pizarra blanca, pizarra, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries albo, pizarra, pizarrón, CC BY-SA 4.0.
