Translation guide
The English word 'locking' can refer to securing something with a lock, becoming fixed in place, or engaging a mechanism. This guide covers common Japanese expressions for these actions.
To fasten a door, container, or device using a key or combination lock.
The most common way to say 'lock' (a door, drawer, etc.). Literally 'apply a key'.
出かける前にドアに鍵をかけてください。
Please lock the door before you go out.
Formal term for locking, often used in official contexts or written instructions.
When a part of the body or a mechanism becomes fixed and cannot move.
Used for mechanical parts or joints that lock into place.
膝がロックして動かなくなった。
My knee locked up and I couldn't move it.
To set a device or system into a locked state, such as a car's central locking or a safety lock.
Common for electronic or mechanical locking systems.
車のドアをリモコンでロックする。
Lock the car doors with the remote.
Can also be used for engaging a lock mechanism, though slightly less technical.
鍵をかける is the standard, everyday expression for locking with a physical key. ロックする is a loanword often used for electronic locks, apps, or mechanical locking without a traditional key. In casual conversation, ロックする is very common for smartphones and computers.
ドアに鍵をかける
lock the door (with a key)
パソコンをロックする
lock the computer
English often uses 'locking' as a gerund (e.g., 'the locking of the door'). In Japanese, it's more natural to use the verb phrase 鍵をかけること or simply rephrase the sentence. Do not try to directly translate 'locking' as a standalone noun.
ドアに鍵をかけることは大切です。
Locking the door is important.
ロック機構が壊れています。
The locking mechanism is broken.
Please be sure to lock up when you leave.
Loanword from English, common for electronic devices, apps, or casual speech.
スマホをロックした。
I locked my smartphone.
Means 'to harden' or 'to become stiff', used for muscles or joints seizing up.
寒さで指が固まって動かない。
My fingers are locked up from the cold and won't move.
Technical term for fixing or locking something in place, often used in engineering.
ネジを固定して緩まないようにする。
Lock the screw so it doesn't come loose.
自転車の鍵をかけるのを忘れた。
I forgot to lock my bicycle.