How to say “key” in Chinese
key, crux; crucial
“Key” in Chinese is 关键, guān jiàn: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
关键 is read guān jiàn: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
On the left, 钅 “metal”; on the right, 建 jiàn hints at the sound.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “关键”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 关键. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 这是一个很关键的问题zhèshìyígehěnguānjiàndewèntíThis is a key question.
- 成功的关键在于坚持chénggōngdeguānjiànzàiyújiānchíThe key to success lies in persistence.
More words from the lesson “Goal and reason”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “key” in Chinese?
“Key” in Chinese is 关键, pinyin guānjiàn.
What does 关键 mean?
关键 (guānjiàn) means “key, crux; crucial”.
How do you write 关键?
关键 is 2 characters: 关 (guān) — close; connection; 键 (jiàn) — key (keyboard); key. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 关键?
关键 is read guānjiàn. Tones: guān — first tone, jiàn — fourth tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“key” in the lesson “Goal and reason”
This word is from the topic “University and goals” of HSK 4. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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