鍵

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 鍵を忘れました。▶ —
   I forgot the key.
2. 成功の鍵は努力です。▶ —
   The key to success is effort.

Collocations

Mnemonic

鍵 kagi — physical key plus metaphor for "key point". Verb collocation 鍵をかける (kagi wo kakeru, to lock) uses かける ("hang/place") — the kanji metaphor of "hanging a lock on". Abstract: 成功の鍵 (key to success), 解決の鍵 (key to the solution). English "key to success", Korean "seonggong-ui yeolsoe", Chinese 成功的关键 share the same cognitive metaphor (key = unlocking secret/door). Loanword キー (kii) coexists, dominant in IT (キーボード keyboard, パスキー passkey). One word bridges object, metaphor, and loanword strata.

Quick check

1. Correct Japanese for "lock the door"?

   • 鍵をかける (literally "hang the key/lock")
   • 鍵を閉める (close the key, awkward)
   • 鍵を取る (take)
   • 鍵をする (ungrammatical)