The pencil, or lápiz in Spanish, was once a tool I used daily at school for writing, but it has become almost obsolete in my life now that I rely on a computer for my work. In fact, the only time I use a lápiz these days is when I’m drawing!
Latin American Pronunciation
European Pronunciation
The word comes from the Latin lapis, which means stone. This origin is likely connected to the early use of slate or other minerals in writing instruments.
Lápiz is a masculine noun that takes the following definite and indefinite articles:
- el lápiz = the pencil
- un lápiz = a pencil
- los lápices = the pencils
- unos lápices = some pencils
If you want to say that you are writing something in pencil, you can use the expressions a lápiz or con lápiz.
Escribí todas mis notas a lápiz para poder borrarlas fácilmente si me equivoco.
I wrote all my notes in pencil so I can easily erase them if I make a mistake.
Note that a coloured pencil is actually known as a lápiz de color, lápiz de tiza or pastel in Spanish, while what we call a crayon in English has a similar name, known as a crayon or crayola.
Did you know that…
Pencils do not contain plomo (lead) and never have? According to Joe Schwarcz, PhD at McGill University, pencils are actually made from a blend of grafito (graphite) and arcilla (clay). The only connection to lead dates back to ancient Rome, where Romans used it to draw guidelines on papyrus scrolls, which they would write on using a small brush called a pencillus. Sound familiar?
Here are a few common verbs used with lápiz:
- sacar punta a un lápiz = to sharpen a pencil
- escribir con un lápiz = to write with a pencil
- borrar las marcas de lápiz = to erase the pencil markings
- romper la punta del lápiz = to break the pencil tip
- dibujar a lápiz = to draw with a pencil
The word lápiz often comes up when discussing various types of makeup, such as lápiz de labios (lip liner or lipstick), lápiz de cejas (eyebrow pencil), and lápiz de ojos (eyeliner).
In the Southern Cone, you will also hear the term lápiz a pasta, which is the local term for a ball-point pen. In other Spanish-speaking countries, it is simply known as a bolígrafo or lapicero.
Below are a few other types of lápiz you may encounter:
- lápiz de luz / lápiz óptico = light pen
- lápiz lector = data pen
- lápiz negro = blue pencil (literally “black pencil” for censuring documents)
- lápiz mina = mechanical pencil
Idiomatic expressions featuring ‘lápiz’
Meter lápiz a algo
Literal translation: to put a pencil to something
English meaning: to sign something
