keys
keys — 形容詞
1. so important that it strongly affects what happens next or whether something suc
關鍵的
極重要並影響結果
so important that it strongly affects what happens next or whether something succeeds.
Regular practice is key to improving your speaking confidence.
規律練習是提升口說自信的關鍵。
be key to + gerund
Mina played a key role in planning the school festival.
Mina 在籌辦學校園遊會時扮演了關鍵角色。
key role
Clean water is key for farms during the long dry months.
在漫長旱季裡，乾淨的水對農場很關鍵。
A clear map was key to finding the mountain path before dark.
一張清楚的地圖是天黑前找到山路的關鍵。
文法句型
key + noun
be key to + noun/gerund
be key for + noun
用法筆記
Usually appears before a noun or in patterns like 'be key to/for'. The base form 'key' is standard even though this entry is listed under the plural headword.
常見錯誤
keys — 名詞
1. metal objects cut to fit locks, or devices used to open or start something.
鑰匙
用來開鎖或啟動設備
metal objects cut to fit locks, or devices used to open or start something.
Rafael grabbed his keys before the apartment door locked behind him.
Rafael 在公寓門關上前抓起了他的鑰匙。
grab your keys before leaving
The twins hung their house keys beside the kitchen calendar.
那對雙胞胎把家裡的鑰匙掛在廚房月曆旁。
house keys
I keep my car keys in the bowl near the window.
我把車鑰匙放在窗邊的碗裡。
Nellie lent me her spare keys while she was abroad.
Nellie 出國時把備用鑰匙借給了我。
文法句型
house keys
car keys
spare keys
用法筆記
The plural often refers to the set you carry every day. Use the singular 'key' when you mean one specific item.
常見錯誤
2. the parts you press on a keyboard, piano, or other instrument to make a mark, no
按鍵；琴鍵
按下即可輸入或發聲的部件
the parts you press on a keyboard, piano, or other instrument to make a mark, note, or sound.
Grease on the laptop keys made the password hard to type.
筆電按鍵上的油污讓密碼變得很難輸入。
laptop keys
The child pressed the piano keys with both hands and laughed.
那個孩子用雙手按著鋼琴琴鍵，笑了起來。
piano keys
Several clarinet keys stuck after the band marched in the rain.
樂隊在雨中行進後，好幾個豎笛按鍵卡住了。
Please wipe the dirty keys before you use the shared keyboard.
在你使用共用鍵盤前，請先擦乾淨那些按鍵。
文法句型
keyboard keys
piano keys
press the keys
用法筆記
Use this sense for the movable parts you press on a device or instrument. A single one is 'a key'.
3. different sets of notes that music is built around, each centred on a main note.
調；調性
以主音為中心的音階系統
different sets of notes that music is built around, each centred on a main note.
The song changes keys halfway through the chorus.
這首歌在副歌唱到一半時會轉調。
change keys
Beginner singers often practise scales in easy keys first.
初學歌手常先在容易的調裡練習音階。
in easy keys
The conductor asked the band to try the tune in lower keys.
指揮請樂團改用較低的調來試這段旋律。
These old folk songs sound warmer in minor keys.
這些老民謠用小調唱起來更溫暖。
- scales
the ordered notes themselves, not the tonal centre they create
- tonalities
more formal music language than everyday 'keys'
文法句型
in different keys
change keys
minor keys
用法筆記
Often follows 'in' when you name the key of a song. Distinguish this sense from noun/2, which is about physical parts on an instrument.
4. lists that explain what the signs, colours, or short forms in a map, chart, or b
圖例；符號表
說明圖上符號意思的列表
lists that explain what the signs, colours, or short forms in a map, chart, or book mean.
The science book prints colour keys beside each diagram.
這本科學書在每張圖旁都印了顏色圖例。
colour keys
Without the map keys, we could not tell a road from a river.
沒有地圖圖例，我們分不出哪條是道路、哪條是河流。
map keys
The museum guide added simple keys for the symbols on each floor plan.
博物館導覽在每張樓層圖上都加了簡單的符號表。
Check the chart keys before you compare the warning signs.
比較那些警示標誌前，先看一下圖表的圖例。
文法句型
map keys
chart keys
keys for symbols
用法筆記
This sense is common with maps, charts, floor plans, and textbooks. It names the explanation list, not the symbols themselves.
5. lists that show the correct answers for exercises, quizzes, or tests.
答案表；解答
列出正確答案的資料
lists that show the correct answers for exercises, quizzes, or tests.
The teacher handed out the answer keys after the quiz ended.
小考結束後，老師把答案表發了下去。
answer keys
Please keep the answer keys in the locked drawer.
請把那些答案表收在上鎖的抽屜裡。
keep the answer keys
Online practice tests often email answer keys the next day.
線上練習測驗常在隔天用電子郵件寄出解答本。
Hamza used last year's answer keys to review his mistakes.
Hamza 用去年的答案表來檢查自己的錯誤。
- solutions
often used for maths or problem sets rather than short quizzes
- mark schemes
more specific to exams and scoring guidelines
文法句型
answer keys
release the keys
keys for a quiz
用法筆記
Usually appears in teaching or exam contexts. The phrase 'answer key' is much more common than a bare singular 'key' here.
6. small flat islands, often made of sand or coral, in warm seas.
低島；礁島
熱帶海上的低平小島
small flat islands, often made of sand or coral, in warm seas.
Their boat moved slowly between the coral keys at sunset.
日落時，他們的船慢慢穿過那些珊瑚礁島之間。
between the coral keys
Sea birds nest on the low keys during the dry season.
海鳥會在旱季時於低島上築巢。
low keys
The guide warned us not to step on the fragile sand keys.
導遊提醒我們不要踩上那些脆弱的沙質礁島。
From the plane, the keys looked like green dots in blue water.
從飛機上看，那些低島像藍海上的綠點。
文法句型
coral keys
sand keys
between the keys
用法筆記
This is a geographical sense, especially for tropical island chains. Distinguish it from noun/1, which is about objects used to open locks.
7. the painted areas beside the baskets where play is restricted during some basket
禁區
籃框前的罰球區域
the painted areas beside the baskets where play is restricted during some basketball actions.
Fresh paint made the keys easy to see on the old court.
新的油漆讓舊球場上的禁區變得很容易看清。
the keys on the court
The referee checked that players stood outside the keys for free throws.
裁判確認球員在罰球時都站在禁區外。
outside the keys
During practice, the coach placed cones along the keys to teach spacing.
練習時，教練沿著禁區擺了三角錐來教站位。
Both teams crowded the keys whenever Mei drove toward the basket.
每次 Mei 朝籃框切入時，兩隊都擠進禁區。
文法句型
the keys
outside the keys
along the keys
用法筆記
Mainly used in basketball talk. The singular 'the key' is also common when speakers mean one lane at one end of the court.
8. the things that matter most when you want to succeed, solve something, or unders
關鍵；要訣
成敗或理解最重要的因素
the things that matter most when you want to succeed, solve something, or understand it.
Patience and sleep are keys to helping young children learn.
耐心和睡眠是幫助幼童學習的關鍵。
keys to + gerund
For many small shops, loyal customers are the keys to survival.
對許多小店來說，忠實顧客是生存的要訣。
keys to survival
Clear records are keys to finding mistakes in the budget.
清楚的紀錄是找出預算錯誤的關鍵。
These three questions are keys to understanding the poem's ending.
這三個問題是理解那首詩結尾的關鍵。
- secrets
more informal and often suggests special inside knowledge
- essentials
stresses necessary parts rather than a route to success
- factors
more neutral and less emphatic than 'keys'
文法句型
keys to + noun/gerund
the keys to success
用法筆記
Usually followed by 'to' plus a noun or -ing form. Use the singular 'key' when one factor stands out more than the others.
常見錯誤
keys — 動詞
1. to scrape a car or other vehicle with a key as an act of vandalism.
刮車；劃車
用鑰匙故意刮傷車身
to scrape a car or other vehicle with a key as an act of vandalism.
The angry tenant keys cars whenever someone blocks his garage.
只要有人擋住他的車庫，那個憤怒的房客就會去刮車。
key + cars
Someone keyed our van during the concert last night.
昨晚音樂會期間，有人把我們的廂型車劃車了。
keyed our van
Police arrested a boy who keyed six taxis outside the station.
警方逮捕了一名在車站外刮車六輛計程車的男孩。
Rita cried when she saw that a stranger had keyed her car.
Rita 看到陌生人把她的車劃車後哭了出來。
- repair
undoes damage instead of causing it
文法句型
key + car/van/taxi
be keyed
用法筆記
The object is almost always a vehicle with painted sides. The verb implies deliberate damage, not an accidental scratch.
常見錯誤
2. to shape or adjust something so it matches a need, system, or situation.
配合；調整
使之符合特定需要或對象
to shape or adjust something so it matches a need, system, or situation.
The coach keys each drill to the players' age and strength.
教練會把每項訓練配合球員的年齡和體能。
key + object + to + people
Good teachers key new lessons to what the class already knows.
好的老師會把新課程調整到學生已經知道的內容。
key lessons to prior knowledge
The designer keyed the colours to the hotel's old wooden floors.
設計師把色彩配合飯店舊木地板的感覺來安排。
This exercise book keys its reading tasks to real travel situations.
這本練習冊把閱讀任務配合真實旅行情境來設計。
- misalign
leave things out of agreement
文法句型
key + object + to + need/plan
key lessons to + level
用法筆記
This sense is formal and usually takes the pattern 'key something to something'. The object is the plan or material being adjusted.