Breakdown of El profesor escribe en la pizarra.
el profesor
the teacher
en
in / on / by (means of transport) / about (after pensar)
escribir
to write
la pizarra
the board
Questions & Answers about El profesor escribe en la pizarra.
Why does the verb end in -e here with escribe?
escribe comes from the verb escribir (to write). For regular verbs ending in -ir, the he/she/it form ends in -e. Because el profesor refers to a single person (he), we use escribe. Notice that in Spanish, this one word covers both writes and is writing.
Wait, doesn't en mean in? Why does it translate to on here?
The Spanish word en is very flexible and can mean in, on, or at depending on the context. Because a teacher writes on the surface of a board, it naturally translates to on in this sentence.
Does pizarra specifically mean a traditional blackboard?
It can, but it does not have to! While it originally referred to a chalkboard made of slate, pizarra is the everyday word used in Spain for any classroom board, including modern whiteboards.