鍵 (jiàn) - Key — a metal implement used for locking & a crucial element or factor

鍵Tone 4

jiàn ｜ 16 strokes ｜ radical:

健傑

鍵 · jiàn

Key — a metal implement used for locking and unlocking;

a crucial element or factor;

in music, a key on a keyboard instrument.

Key — a metal implement used for lockinga crucial element or factorin music, a key on a keyboard instrument.

Usage highlights

KeyboardKey pointPiano keyCrucialKey industryKey link

Synonyms

  • 关键— crucial point; key
  • 钥匙— physical key for a lock

Antonyms

  • 锁— lock (as opposed to key)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I need the key to unlock the door (钥匙).
  • Press the key on the keyboard (键盘).
  • This is a key point in the argument (关键点).
  • The piano has 88 keys (琴键).

Collocations

  • Keyboard(键盘)
  • Key point(关键)
  • Piano key(琴键)
  • Crucial(关键性的)
  • Key industry(关键产业)
  • Key link(关键环节)

Idioms

  • The key to the problem(问题的关键)
  • Press the right key(按对键)
  • A crucial moment(关键时刻)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character 鍵 is composed of the metal radical 金, indicating its traditional material, and the phonetic component 建.
  • In modern contexts, it is heavily associated with technology, particularly computer keyboards and input devices.
  • It metaphorically represents something of pivotal importance, as in the word 关键 (guānjiàn - crucial).

FAQ