堊 (è) - Chalk & white earth

堊Tone 4

è ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

丁恩

堊 · è

Chalk;

white earth;

white clay;

to whiten with chalk;

to plaster.

Chalkwhite earthwhite clay

Usage highlights

white chalkchalk powderchalk soilchalk periodto plaster with chalkchalk mine

Synonyms

  • 白土— white earth
  • 白粉— white powder (in some contexts)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The wall was painted white with chalk (用白堊粉刷牆).
  • This region is rich in chalk deposits (此地盛產白堊).
  • They used chalk to mark the boundary (用堊粉標記邊界).
  • The artist prepared chalk for drawing (藝術家準備繪畫用的白堊).

Collocations

  • white chalk(白堊)
  • chalk powder(堊粉)
  • chalk soil(堊土)
  • chalk period(白堊紀)
  • to plaster with chalk(堊塗)
  • chalk mine(堊礦)

Idioms

  • To plaster and paint(堊墁丹漆)
  • To whiten with chalk and paint with lacquer(堊漆)
  • To apply chalk to the wall(堊壁)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically used as a white pigment in traditional Chinese painting and wall plastering.
  • The Cretaceous period in geology is called '白堊紀' in Chinese, named after the chalk beds found in that geological layer.
  • In ancient times, chalk was used for marking boundaries and in ceremonial purposes.

FAQ