key

llave

Pequeña pieza de metal con una forma especial que sirve para abrir o cerrar cerraduras o arrancar vehículos.

En inglés sencillo: A small shaped piece of metal used to open or lock a door or start a vehicle.

• I lost my key.
• She turned the key in the lock.
• Have you seen my car keys?

Expresiones frecuentes: door key, car key, spare key

tecla

Botón de un ordenador o una máquina de escribir que se pulsa para introducir letras o instrucciones.

En inglés sencillo: A button on a computer or typing machine that you press to enter letters or commands.

• Press the Enter key.
• One key on my keyboard is broken.
• Hold down both keys to copy the text.

Sinónimos: button

Expresiones frecuentes: enter key, press a key, shift key, escape key

llave electrónica, tarjeta llave

Tarjeta o pequeño dispositivo electrónico que permite abrir una cerradura.

En inglés sencillo: A card or small electronic device that opens a lock.

• Tap your key against the reader.
• The hotel gave us two room keys.
• My electronic key no longer opens the garage.

Sinónimos: access card, key card

Expresiones frecuentes: room key, electronic key, key card

tecla

Parte de un piano o instrumento parecido que se pulsa para producir un sonido.

En inglés sencillo: One of the parts you press on a piano or similar instrument to make a sound.

• Press this piano key.
• Her fingers moved quickly across the keys.
• The organ has several rows of keys.

Expresiones frecuentes: piano key, black key, white key

tonalidad

Nota principal y conjunto de notas relacionadas que sirven de base a una pieza musical.

En inglés sencillo: The main note and related set of notes around which a piece of music is built.

• This song is in a minor key.
• We changed the key to suit her voice.
• Can you play it in the key of G?

Cómo se usa: in the key of something (The piece is in the key of D major.)

Sinónimos: tonality

Expresiones frecuentes: key of c, major key, minor key

clave, fundamental

Muy importante para que algo funcione o tenga éxito.

En inglés sencillo: Very important to the way something works or succeeds.

• Sleep is a key part of good health.
• She played a key role in the project.
• We discussed the key issues at the meeting.

Cómo se usa: key to something (Good communication is key to success.)

Sinónimos: important, crucial, major

Antónimos: minor, unimportant

Expresiones frecuentes: key role, key factor, key issue, key player

teclear, introducir

Introducir información en un ordenador pulsando las teclas del teclado.

En inglés sencillo: To enter information into a computer by pressing buttons on a keyboard.

• Please key in your password.
• She keyed the figures into a spreadsheet.
• Have you keyed in all the addresses?

Cómo se usa: key something in (He keyed the code in carefully.); key something into something (She keyed the numbers into the computer.)

Sinónimos: type, enter, input

Expresiones frecuentes: key in something, key something in, key into something

rayar

Dañar a propósito un coche u otra superficie rayándolos con una llave o un objeto parecido.

En inglés sencillo: To deliberately damage a car or another surface by scratching it with a key or similar object.

• Someone keyed my car.
• His parked van was keyed overnight.
• The police caught a man keying vehicles outside the station.

Sinónimos: scratch

Expresiones frecuentes: key a car, key someone’s car