键 (jiàn) — (noun) key (on a keyboard, piano, etc.); (noun) button (on a mouse or other device); (noun) chemical bond
Definition
键 (jiàn) is a technical/formal 'key' or 'button' — the keys on a keyboard, piano, or mouse. Unlike 钥匙 ('door key'), 键 is not used for metal keys that open locks.
noun
key (on a keyboard, piano, etc.)button (on a mouse or other device)chemical bond
Measure word · 个
Examples
- 键。Qǐng àn yí xià zhè ge jiàn.Please press this key.
- 键。Shǔ biāo de zuǒ jiàn kě yǐ diǎn kāi wén jiàn.The left button of the mouse can open files.
- 。Zhè ge huà xué jiàn hěn láo gù.This chemical bond is very strong.
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 鍵; 键 is its simplified writing.
The traditional form 鍵 combines 釒 (metal) with 建 for sound, and the evidence describes it as a metal key.
Browse more HSK 5 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.