钥
Character learning workspace

yào · lock, key

Master the form, understand its parts, and learn how it behaves in real Chinese.

Watch · inspect · write

Learn every stroke in 钥

Replay the complete order, pause on difficult movements, inspect one stroke at a time, then write it yourself with live correction.

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Stroke graphics: Make Me a Hanzi / Arphic Public License
Step-by-step explorer

See how 钥 is constructed

Switch between the accumulated form and the isolated movement of each stroke.

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Character anatomy

Understand the reusable parts

The decomposition shows how the visual pieces fit together, not necessarily the character’s historical origin.

Writing notes

Shape and proportion

9Total strokes

Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.

Left-rightCharacter structure

Keep the left side compact and leave enough room for the right side.

钅Key radical

Use the highlighted radical in the animation as a visual anchor for remembering the form.

Print and practise

Download a 钥 writing sheet

Get a ready-to-use A4 sheet immediately, or open the full builder to change its grid and guidance.

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Includes the stroke sequence, progressive tracing, and blank writing squares. Generated locally in your browser.

Vocabulary in context

Common words with 钥

Open a word for its full breakdown, or listen before reading the meaning.

yàoWords pronounced yào
yuèWords pronounced yuè
Read and listen

Example sentences

Notice where 钥 sits in each complete thought.

Nǐ néng bāng wǒ zhǎo wǒ de yàoshi ma?你能帮我找我的钥匙吗?

Would you help me look for my keys?

Source: Tatoeba #1020163 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ hǎo xiàng diū le wǒ de yàoshi.我好像丢了我的钥匙。

It seems that I have lost my keys.

Source: Tatoeba #349683 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Ò, wǒ bǎ wǒ de yàoshi wàng le.哦,我把我的钥匙忘了。

Oh, I forgot my keys.

Source: Tatoeba #3703871 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Zhè shì nǐ zhǎo de yàoshi ma?这是你找的钥匙吗?

Is this the key you are looking for?

Source: Tatoeba #5686998 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ zhèng zài zhǎo yàoshi, nǐ kàn jiàn le ma?我正在找钥匙,你看见了吗?

I'm looking for my keys. Have you seen them?

Source: Tatoeba #2317102 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ zhǎo dào nà bǎ wǒ yì zhí zài zhǎo de yàoshi le.我找到那把我一直在找的钥匙了。

I found the key for which I had been looking.

Source: Tatoeba #332433 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 钥 in context

  1. Say yào, then recall the core meaning: lock, key.
  2. Write all 9 strokes while keeping the left-right balanced.
  3. Use it in 钥匙 (yào shi), meaning “key”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 钥 works in that context.

Definitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.