钥 (yào) — key (bound form, used in compound words)
Definition
钥 (yào) is a bound form meaning 'key' — it almost never stands alone. Use it in compounds like 钥匙 (key, physical object) and 密码/密钥 (password, encryption key).
bound form
key (bound form, used in compound words)
Examples
- 。Wǒ de yào shi bú jiàn le.I lost my key.
- 。Qǐng bǎ mén shàng de yào shi qǔ xià lái.Please take the key off the door.
- 钥。Zhè ge wén jiàn xū yào mì yào cái néng dǎ kāi.This file requires an encryption key to open.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 鑰; 钥 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
龠
龠yuè鑰⁰yuè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 鑰 uses 金 to show a metal thing and 龠 to give the sound; the simplified 钥 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
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