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Korean vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "key" in Korean?
키
ki
In Korean, "key" is 키 (ki).
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Pronunciation
Sound it out as ki and keep your pitch fairly flat across the word, letting the consonants do the work instead of the tone.
Writing and usage
키 is written using hangul. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.
Example sentence
그녀는 자물쇠에 열쇠를 돌렸다.
geunyeoneun jamulsoee yeolsoereul dolryeotda.
She turned the key in the lock.
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How to remember 키
Break "ki" into pieces and notice how it half-rhymes with an English word; ride that half-rhyme straight into 'She turned the key in the lock.'.
Related words
- mattress 매트리스 maeteuriseu
- pillow 베개 begae
- sheet 침대 시트 chimdae siteu
- curtain 커튼 keoteun
- rug 러그 reogeu
- wardrobe 옷장 otjang
- closet 옷장 otjang
- faucet 수도꼭지 sudokkokji
- sink 싱크대 singkeudae
Browse all Korean words in the glossary.
Questions about 키
How do you pronounce 키?
Sound it out as ki and keep your pitch fairly flat across the word, letting the consonants do the work instead of the tone.
Is 키 formal or casual?
키 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.
How is 키 written in Korean?
키 is written using hangul. Romanised, it reads as ki.
Where can I practice Korean words for free?
You can play free Korean minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Korean glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Key" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Korean language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.
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