How to say "lock" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- noun, suru verb, transitive verbThe loanword for 'lock', covering both the device and the act of locking, as when you lock a door, a car, or a phone.
- 錠じょうnounA noun for a lock; when you mean a padlock — for a bicycle, locker, or gate — this is the word to reach for.
- 閉ざすとざすgodan verb, transitive verbA verb meaning to shut or close, with 'lock' as one of its senses; it stresses fastening or closing something off — a door shut tight, a heart closed to others — rather than the lock itself.
- 鍵かぎnounBest known as the word for 'key', it also covers the lock itself, so it appears in expressions for locking and unlocking doors.
Use 「ロック」 for the device or the act of locking, 錠 for a lock or padlock, 鍵 for the key and, by extension, the lock, and 「閉ざす」 as a verb meaning to shut or fasten something closed.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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