Definition
A small metal tool used to open or lock a door, or anything that helps solve a problem.
Example
Esqueci a chave em casa e não consigo entrar.
Show translation
I forgot the key at home and can't get in.
Etymology
From Latin *clavis* ("key"), the same root that gives English "clavicle" (the collarbone, shaped like a small key) and "clef" in music. The Latin *clavis* is also the ancestor of Spanish *llave* and Italian *chiave*.
Cultural note
Beyond the physical object, *chave* is used figuratively in Brazilian Portuguese in ways English speakers will recognise: *a chave do sucesso* ("the key to success"), *palavra-chave* ("keyword"). In informal speech, *chave* also appears in the expression *não tem chave* — there's no solution, it's hopeless.