鑰 meaning and stroke order
Lock, key
How to write 鑰, stroke by stroke
25 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 鑰
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- key
- also pr. [yao4]
How 鑰 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Metal.
釒 gives the meaning and 龠 hints at the sound.
Radical: 釒 (gold), shared by 135 characters on this site.
How to remember 鑰
On the left is 釒, the metal radical, because keys are made of metal. On the right is 龠 (yuè), an old character for a bamboo flute full of little holes, so picture a metal key fitting into a lock full of tiny pin holes.
鑰 is the traditional form, and on its own it is rare. You almost always meet it in the word 鑰匙 (yàoshi), simplified 钥匙, meaning key. Example: 我找不到鑰匙了。(Wǒ zhǎo bú dào yàoshi le.) I can't find my keys.
Common mistake: Learners often say 鑰匙 as yàoshī with a full first tone on 匙. In everyday speech 匙 is neutral tone, so it sounds like yàoshi. Also do not mix up 鑰 with 龠 alone, which has no metal radical and means a flute, not a key.
Common words with 鑰
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 鑰匙 | yàoshi | key | HSK 7-9 |
| 密鑰 | mìyào | (cryptography) key |
Questions about 鑰
How many strokes are in 鑰?
鑰 is written with 25 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 鑰 mean?
鑰 (yào) means lock, key. A common word with it is 钥匙 (yàoshi), meaning "key".
How do you pronounce 鑰?
鑰 is pronounced yào, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 鑰?
The radical of 鑰 is 釒, which carries the idea of "gold". Dictionaries list 鑰 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 鑰?
鑰 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 钥, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why does 鑰 have two readings, yào and yuè?
yuè is the older literary reading and still appears in a few formal words like 鎖鑰 (suǒyuè), meaning a key or a strategic gateway. In daily speech, as in 鑰匙, people say yào.
How do you say key in the computer or encryption sense?
Use 密鑰 (mìyào), simplified 密钥, as in 公鑰 (gōngyào) for public key. For a key on a keyboard, Chinese uses a different word, 鍵 (jiàn), not 鑰.