Key in Different Languages
Discover 'Key' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Key
Afrikaans sleutel | ||
Albanian celës | ||
Amharic ቁልፍ | ||
Arabic مفتاح | ||
Armenian բանալի | ||
Assamese চাবি | ||
Aymara llawi | ||
Azerbaijani açar | ||
Bambara kile | ||
Basque gakoa | ||
Belarusian ключ | ||
Bengali মূল | ||
Bhojpuri चाभी | ||
Bosnian ključ | ||
Bulgarian ключ | ||
Catalan clau | ||
Cebuano yawi | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 键 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 鍵 | ||
Corsican chjave | ||
Croatian ključ | ||
Czech klíč | ||
Danish nøgle | ||
Dhivehi ތަޅުދަނޑި | ||
Dogri चाबी | ||
Dutch sleutel | ||
English key | ||
Esperanto ŝlosilo | ||
Estonian võti | ||
Ewe asafui | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) susi | ||
Finnish avain | ||
French clé | ||
Frisian kaai | ||
Galician clave | ||
Georgian გასაღები | ||
German schlüssel | ||
Greek κλειδί | ||
Guarani ndavoka | ||
Gujarati કી | ||
Haitian Creole kle | ||
Hausa mabuɗi | ||
Hawaiian kī | ||
Hebrew מַפְתֵחַ | ||
Hindi चाभी | ||
Hmong tus yuam sij | ||
Hungarian kulcs | ||
Icelandic lykill | ||
Igbo igodo | ||
Ilocano susi | ||
Indonesian kunci | ||
Irish eochair | ||
Italian chiave | ||
Japanese キー | ||
Javanese kunci | ||
Kannada ಕೀ | ||
Kazakh кілт | ||
Khmer កូនសោ | ||
Kinyarwanda urufunguzo | ||
Konkani मुखेल | ||
Korean 키 | ||
Krio ki | ||
Kurdish qûfle | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) کلیل | ||
Kyrgyz ачкыч | ||
Lao ກຸນແຈ | ||
Latin clavis | ||
Latvian taustiņu | ||
Lingala fungola | ||
Lithuanian raktas | ||
Luganda ekisumuluzo | ||
Luxembourgish schlëssel | ||
Macedonian клуч | ||
Maithili चाबी | ||
Malagasy andinin- | ||
Malay kunci | ||
Malayalam കീ | ||
Maltese ċavetta | ||
Maori kī | ||
Marathi की | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯁꯣ | ||
Mizo chahbi | ||
Mongolian түлхүүр | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) သော့ | ||
Nepali कुञ्जी | ||
Norwegian nøkkel | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) chinsinsi | ||
Odia (Oriya) ଚାବି | ||
Oromo furtuu | ||
Pashto کیلي | ||
Persian کلید | ||
Polish klucz | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) chave | ||
Punjabi ਕੁੰਜੀ | ||
Quechua kichana | ||
Romanian cheie | ||
Russian ключ | ||
Samoan ki | ||
Sanskrit कुंजी | ||
Scots Gaelic iuchair | ||
Sepedi khii | ||
Serbian кључ | ||
Sesotho senotlolo | ||
Shona kiyi | ||
Sindhi چاٻي | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) යතුර | ||
Slovak kľúč | ||
Slovenian tipko | ||
Somali fure | ||
Spanish llave | ||
Sundanese konci | ||
Swahili ufunguo | ||
Swedish nyckel- | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) susi | ||
Tajik калид | ||
Tamil விசை | ||
Tatar ачкыч | ||
Telugu కీ | ||
Thai สำคัญ | ||
Tigrinya መፍትሕ | ||
Tsonga khiya | ||
Turkish anahtar | ||
Turkmen açary | ||
Twi (Akan) safoa | ||
Ukrainian ключ | ||
Urdu چابی | ||
Uyghur ئاچقۇچ | ||
Uzbek kalit | ||
Vietnamese chìa khóa | ||
Welsh allwedd | ||
Xhosa isitshixo | ||
Yiddish שליסל | ||
Yoruba bọtini | ||
Zulu ukhiye |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The word "sleutel" is a cognate of the English word "slot" and can also mean "gate" or "lock". |
| Albanian | The word "Celës" in Albanian is derived from the Latin word "clavis", which also means "key" and is the root of the English word "clef". |
| Amharic | In Amharic, "ቁልፍ" can also refer to a lock or bolt. |
| Arabic | The etymology of "مفتاح" (key) in Arabic is most likely from the root "فتح" (to open), suggesting its primary function as a means to unlock. |
| Azerbaijani | "Açar" is the Azerbaijani reflex of Middle Persian "ācār", which meant "to open", and it was later borrowed into Ottoman Turkish with the meaning of "key". |
| Basque | The Basque word "gakoa" translates to "key" and is derived from the root "gaitu," meaning "to open". |
| Belarusian | The word "ключ" in Belarusian also has the meaning of "spring" or "source of water". |
| Bengali | The word "মূল" can also mean "foundation" or "origin" in Bengali. |
| Bosnian | The word 'ključ' can also refer to a type of bird, a spring, or a device used to lock and unlock something. |
| Bulgarian | In Russian, the word "ключ" also means "spring" (source of water), and this meaning dates back to the Proto-Slavic language. |
| Catalan | The word "clau" also means "clue" in Catalan, reflecting its role in unlocking secrets and solving mysteries. |
| Cebuano | The Cebuano word "yawi" (key) originates from the Malay word "kunci" with the same meaning. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | In Chinese, '键' not only means 'key', but also can refer to a piano key or a computer keyboard key. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | "鍵" is also a Chinese surname and a Japanese surname. |
| Corsican | In Corsican, the word "chjave" has two related meanings: "key" and "nail," highlighting its role in opening and securing. |
| Croatian | In Slovene, the word "ključ" also means "spring" as in a water source. |
| Czech | "Klíč" also denotes a musical clef and a spanner in Czech. |
| Danish | The Danish word "nøgle" shares the same root with the English word "nightingale" and originally meant "night-song". |
| Dutch | The word "sleutel" in Dutch comes from the Old Saxon word "sletil", which means "to lock" or "to bolt." |
| Esperanto | The Esperanto word "ŝlosilo" ultimately derives from the Polish word "klucz", which also means "key". |
| Estonian | The word "võti" also refers to a spring in a mechanism or a musical instrument's valve or key. |
| Finnish | The Finnish word "avain" comes from the Proto-Finnic word "avain_", cognate with the Estonian word "avama" and the Votic word "avama", all meaning "to open". |
| French | Clé is also synonymous with 'tone', 'tuning key' or 'wrench', and comes from the Latin 'clavis', meaning 'instrument for closing'. |
| Frisian | Frisian “kaai” is cognate with Old English “cæg” (“key”), ultimately deriving from Latin “clavis” (“key”). |
| Galician | The Galician word clave also means "club" and comes from the Latin word "clava", meaning "club" or "cudgel". |
| German | In some German dialects, "Schlüssel" also means "treble clef". |
| Greek | Στη σύγχρονη λαϊκή γλώσσα, η λέξη «κλειδί» εκτός από το βασικό της νόημα, έχει λάβει και τη σημασία της λύσης σε ένα πρόβλημα ή μυστήριο. |
| Gujarati | "કી" is not only a "key" but also a "flower" and "a small hut". |
| Haitian Creole | In Haitian Creole, "kle" not only means "key" but also has several other meanings, such as "house", "home", or "family." |
| Hausa | The Hausa word "mabuɗi" can also refer to a person with significant power or influence. |
| Hawaiian | The Hawaiian word "kī" also means "to open," "to unlock," "to release," or "to let go." |
| Hebrew | The word "מַפְתֵחַ" (key) is derived from the root "פתח" (to open), as it is the object that opens a lock. |
| Hindi | The Hindi word "चाभी" can also refer to the "key person" in a situation. |
| Hmong | Tus yuam sij can also mean "to unlock" in Hmong. |
| Hungarian | The word 'kulcs' may have originated from the Proto-Turkic *küč, meaning 'strength, power' or from the Proto-Ugric *kulča, meaning 'stick, pole'. |
| Icelandic | The Icelandic word "lykill" also means "clue". |
| Igbo | The word "igodo" also means "a small gate" in Igbo. |
| Indonesian | The word "kunci" can also mean "lock" or "bolt" in Indonesian. |
| Irish | The Irish word "eochair" also refers to a door lock |
| Italian | The Italian word "chiave" also means "code" in a more metaphorical sense, such as the code to a secret message. |
| Japanese | The word "キー" can also mean "key point" or "tonic" in music. |
| Javanese | In Javanese, "kunci" can also mean "power" or "authority." |
| Kannada | In addition to its primary meaning of a key, "ಕೀ" also means "a musical note" in Kannada. |
| Kazakh | The Kazakh word "кілт" not only means "key", but also refers to a small lock used on chests or suitcases. |
| Khmer | The word "កូនសោ" in Khmer has multiple meanings, some of which include "key", "child of a blacksmith", and "small nail on a traditional ox-cart." |
| Korean | 키 ('key') shares the same root as 'gate' (문: mun) possibly suggesting the original meaning was 'that which opens the gate'. |
| Kurdish | The word 'qûfle' can also refer to a lock or a keyhole in Kurdish. |
| Kyrgyz | The word "ачкыч" is derived from the verb "ачуу" (to open). |
| Lao | The Lao word ກຸນແຈ is cognate with the Thai word กุญแจ (kunci) which in turn was borrowed from the Portuguese word "chave". |
| Latin | Clavis can also mean "a guide" or "a device for closing a door or window" in Latin. |
| Latvian | Taustiņu (key) can also refer to a piano key, or to a button on a device. |
| Lithuanian | The Lithuanian word "Raktas" is cognate with the Latin word "clavis" (key), also meaning "key" in English. |
| Luxembourgish | "Schlëssel" is derived from the Latin word "clavis", which also means "key". |
| Macedonian | In Bulgarian, the word "клуч" can also refer to a crane (the bird), while in Russian it can mean a spring (as in a watch). |
| Malagasy | Possibly a cognate of Proto-Austronesian *kani "tooth" or Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kani "tooth", from the serrations on a key. |
| Malay | The Malay word "kunci" is derived from the Javanese word "kunci", meaning "lock" or "bolt". |
| Malayalam | The Malayalam word "കീ" (key) is also an alternate spelling of "കീറ" (tear). |
| Maltese | The word "ċavetta" is derived from the Sicilian word "ciave" which is a cognate of Latin "clavis", meaning "key." |
| Maori | The word "kī" can also mean "to speak" or "to say" in Māori. |
| Marathi | In Marathi, "की" can also refer to a musical note or a particle denoting a question. |
| Mongolian | Some meanings of Mongolian word "түлхүүр" ("key") include "reason", "motive", "solution to a problem", "tool" and "instrument". |
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သော့ (key) is a monomorphemic word, with no known etymology or alternate meanings |
| Nepali | "कुञ्जी" (key) originally meant "hook" in Nepali, and the word for "hook" is still used to refer to a key in some contexts. |
| Norwegian | The Norwegian word 'nøkkel' is cognate with the English word 'key' and shares the same Proto-Indo-European root *klei-, meaning 'to bolt or close'. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The Nyanja word "chinsinsi" is also used to refer to a small, flat piece of wood or metal used to play a game similar to marbles. |
| Pashto | In Pashto, 'کیلي' (key) can also refer to a musical instrument or a doorkeeper. |
| Persian | The word 'کلید' in Persian can also mean 'keystone' or 'key position' in an arch or building. |
| Polish | The word "klucz" also means "flock" or "herd" in Polish, due to its historical use as a counting tool for cattle. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | "Chave" comes from the Latin word "clavis", and it can also mean "code", "password" or "answer". |
| Punjabi | In Punjabi, the word "ਕੁੰਜੀ" can also refer to a lock, a secret, or the key to solving a puzzle. |
| Romanian | The Romanian word "cheie" might be derived from either the Latin "clavis" or the Greek "kleidi". |
| Russian | The word "ключ" also means "spring" (as in a source of water) in Russian, a fact related to the ancient belief that water sources were guarded by spirits. |
| Samoan | The Samoan term "ki" is also commonly used as a preposition signifying "to" or "towards". |
| Scots Gaelic | The term "iuchair" is derived from the Old Irish word "eochur" or "iuchur" and can also refer to a bolt or bar. |
| Serbian | The word "кључ" also means "spring" (as in a water source), deriving from Proto-Slavic *kljutsь, where Slavic *klju- meant "to flow". |
| Sesotho | The word "senotlolo" has several synonyms and alternate meanings in Sesotho, including "doorway", "opening", and "entrance." |
| Shona | The Shona word "kiyi" can also refer to a small door or a latch. |
| Sindhi | The Sindhi word 'چاٻي' is derived from Sanskrit word 'चाभी' (chābhī) having the same meaning. |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The word යතුර (key) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'yatra' meaning 'journey' or 'path'. |
| Slovak | In Slovak, the word "kľúč" can also refer to a "musical clef" or a "spring (of water)" |
| Slovenian | The word "tipko" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "ključь", meaning "key" or "hook". |
| Somali | Somali "fure" can also mean "a way, path, or method." |
| Spanish | The Spanish word "llave" originated from the Latin word "clavis" and additionally means "lock". |
| Sundanese | The Sundanese word "konci" also means "to lock" or "to close tightly". |
| Swahili | The word "ufunguo" in Swahili comes from the verb "fungua," meaning "to open," and ultimately derives from the proto-Bantu root "-bungu-," also meaning "to open." |
| Swedish | 'Nyckel' ('key') is also used in the sense of 'skeleton key'. |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | Susi, the Tagalog word for "key," also means "answer" or "solution" |
| Tajik | "Калид" may also refer to "an instrument for opening locks" in Tajik. |
| Tamil | In Tamil, "விசை" also refers to a musical note or a vital aspect, concept, or element. |
| Telugu | "కీ" can also be used as an exclamation to express impatience, similar to "tch" in English. |
| Thai | "สำคัญ" also means "important" in Thai. |
| Turkish | "Anahtar" comes from the Proto-Turkic word "anaγtar" and is still used as a verb with the meaning of "to lock" in some Turkic languages like Uzbek. |
| Ukrainian | In Russian, "ключ" also means a spring or fountain, while in Ukrainian it refers to a key, a spanner, a wrench, a switch, or a solution to a problem. |
| Urdu | The word "چابی" in Urdu derives from the Persian word "klīd", which means "key".} |
| Uzbek | In Uzbek, the word 'kalit' is derived from the Proto-Turkic word 'kalıg', meaning 'to open', also referring to 'locks' or 'fortresses'. |
| Vietnamese | The Vietnamese word "Chìa khóa" also refers to a specific type of Vietnamese lock. |
| Welsh | The word "allwedd" is cognate with Latin "clavis" and Sanskrit "kalida" and also means "secret" in Welsh. |
| Xhosa | "Isitshixo" can also refer to a clue, solution, or explanation in Xhosa. |
| Yiddish | In Yiddish, the word "shlisel" is also used to refer to a musical instrument such as a clarinet or a recorder. |
| Yoruba | The word "bọtini" is also used to refer to the key of a musical instrument like the piano. |
| Zulu | According to the online Zulu-English dictionary, "ukhiye" can also mean "the art of hunting" |
| English | The word "key" comes from the Old English word "cæg", which means "lock" or "bolt", and is related to the Latin word "clavis", which also means "key". |