Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 鎖匙 / 锁匙 | suǒchí | ||
| 鑰匙 / 钥匙 | yàoshi | ||
| 匙 | shi | /ʈ͡ʂʰɻ̩³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /t͡sʰiː²¹/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 鑰 / 钥 | yào | ||
| 鎖匙 / 锁匙 | só-sî | Hokkien |
The term 'key' refers to a device designed to open and close a lock. In Mandarin, the most common and standard term is 鑰匙 / 钥匙. Note that if you want to say 'key' in the sense of a 'key factor' or 'crucial element', you should use the related form 關鍵 / 关键 instead of the physical object term.
What does it mean word for word?
The component 匙 (shi) can mean either 'spoon' or 'key'. Within the compound word 钥匙, it refers specifically to the key.
Which one should you use?
While the individual characters 鑰 / 钥 (yào) and 匙 (shi) can sometimes be used separately, the compound 鑰匙 / 钥匙 (yàoshi) is the standard way to refer to a physical key in Mandarin. In some regions, such as Beijing, you may hear the colloquial form 钥匙儿 (yàoshir).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hokkien, the term used for 'key' is 鎖匙 / 锁匙 (só-sî). In the Dungan language, the word for 'key' is йүәсы (yüəsɨ).
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
só-sî
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use 鑰匙 / 钥匙 to mean a 'key factor' or a 'crucial element'. Use 關鍵 / 关键 for those meanings.
Did you know?
- The Dungan language, spoken by descendants of Hui people in Central Asia, uses the Cyrillic script to write the word as йүәсы.
- The character for 'key', 匙 (shi), is built using the radical for 'spoon' or 'ladle', 匕.
- While 鑰匙 / 钥匙 is standard in Mandarin, speakers of Hokkien use 鎖匙 / 锁匙, which literally combines the words for 'lock' and 'spoon'.
Examples in context
- 我钥匙丢了。I have lost my key.This sentence shows how to express losing a 匙.Tatoeba #9970755 by GlossaMatik, translation #257266 by CK
- 你拿错钥匙了。You took the wrong key.This sentence shows how to use 匙 to indicate someone took the wrong key.Tatoeba #1776658 by sadhen, translation #2416 by CK
- 你沒有鑰匙嗎？Don't you have a key?This sentence uses 匙 to ask if someone has a key.Tatoeba #12278238 by FishlandicFishy, translation #9359585 by CK
- 你有我的房间的钥匙吗？Do you have the key to my room?
- 钥匙在哪儿？Where is the key?
- 66 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “key” translations and entries 匙, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 匙, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
