How to say “key” in Chinese
key (on a keyboard)
“Key” in Chinese is 键, jiàn: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
键 is read jiàn. 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 “键”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 键. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 这是一个很关键的问题zhèshìyígehěnguānjiàndewèntíThis is a key question.
- 请按一下这个键qǐngànyíxiàzhègejiànPlease press this key.
- 成功的关键在于坚持chénggōngdeguānjiànzàiyújiānchíThe key to success lies in persistence.
More characters by topic — happiness, luck, strength, nature — on the page “Chinese characters with meanings”.
More words from the lesson “Computer and keyboard”
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 键, pinyin jiàn.
What does 键 mean?
键 (jiàn) means “key (on a keyboard)”.
How do you write 键?
键 is 1 character. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 键?
键 is read jiàn. Tones: jiàn — fourth tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“key” in the lesson “Computer and keyboard”
This word is from the topic “Gadgets and the internet” of HSK 5. 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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