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clef

key

noun KLEH Less Common

Origin: Latin clavis (key)

Usage Note

Clef and clé are both correct spellings, with clé now more common in everyday writing. The word appears in many compounds: clef de voûte (keystone), clef de sol (treble clef in music). The adjective clé (or clef) placed after a noun means key or crucial, as in un poste clé.

Examples

"J'ai perdu ma clef de la maison."

Natural Translation

I lost my house key.

Literal Translation

I lost my key of the house.

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