Hindi · Home, Clothes & Daily Life

"Key" in Hindi: चाबी

चाबीchaabi

Say it: CHAA-beefeminine noun/tʃɑːbiː/

Key in Hindi is चाबी (chaabi), a feminine noun. People also say key in English inside Hindi sentences, especially for car keys and hotel key cards. For a lock itself you say taala.

Leaving a flat

कृपया चाबी टेबल पर रख देना।

kripaya chaabi table par rakh dena.

Please leave the key on the table.
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How to pronounce चाबी

Say it

CHAA-bee

/tʃɑːbiː/

Chaabi is CHAA-bee. The ch is soft as in "chat", the aa is long, and the final i is the long ई sound written as i in our romanization.

"Key" in Hindi: quick reference

HindiEnglish
चाबीchaabikey

Doors, locks, and everyday speech.

कीkeykey

Common Hinglish, especially car and room keys.

चाबी का गुच्छाchaabi ka guchchakey ring; bunch of keys

When you have several keys together.

डुप्लीकेट चाबीduplicate chaabispare key

Asking a locksmith or landlord.

How to use चाबी in real life

  1. 1Leaving a flat

    कृपया चाबी टेबल पर रख देना।

    kripaya chaabi table par rakh dena.

    Please leave the key on the table.

    A clean handoff line for guests or staff.

  2. 2Locked out

    मेरी चाबी अंदर रह गई!

    meri chaabi andar rah gayi!

    My key got left inside!

    Chaabi is feminine: meri chaabi.

  3. 3At a hotel desk

    कमरे की चाबी मिल सकती है?

    kamre ki chaabi mil sakti hai?

    Can I get the room key?

    Works for metal keys and key cards alike.

Mistakes English speakers make with चाबी

Incorrect: Mera chaabi kahaan hai?

Correct: Meri chaabi kahaan hai?

Chaabi is feminine, so use meri, not mera.

Incorrect: Calling the lock chaabi

Correct: Taala is the lock; चाबी (chaabi) is the key

Mix-ups confuse locksmiths. Point if you need to.

Good to know

Apartment buildings often have a common watchman who keeps spare chaabis for deliveries. Hotel "keys" may be cards, yet people still say chaabi. If you lose one, say chaabi kho gayi and ask for a duplicate without panic — staff hear it daily.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Returning a borrowed flat key to a friend

  1. ChatPal

    चाबी ले आए ना? मैं निकलने वाली हूँ।

    chaabi le aaye na? main nikalne vaali hoon.

    You brought the key, right? I'm about to leave.

  2. You

    हाँ, आपकी चाबी ये रही।

    haan, aapki chaabi ye rahi.

    Yes, here's your key.

  3. ChatPal

    शुक्रिया। डुप्लीकेट चाबी किचन में है अगर फिर ज़रूरत हो।

    shukriya. duplicate chaabi kitchen mein hai agar phir zaroorat ho.

    Thanks. There's a spare key in the kitchen if you need it again.

  4. You

    समझ गई, चाबी सँभाल के रखूँगी।

    samajh gayi, chaabi sambhaal ke rakhoongi.

    Got it — I'll keep the key safe.

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"Key" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Key" in Hindi

Do people say key or chaabi more?

Both. Chaabi is clear Hindi; key slips in for cars, offices, and hotels.

How do I say "I lost my keys"?

Meri chaabi kho gayi, or keys kho gaye in Hinglish.

What is a keychain called?

Chaabi ka guchcha, or keychain in English.

Is chaabi used for password keys?

For encryption people say key in English. Chaabi stays physical.

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