How do you translate to lock in Italian?
In this lesson, we’ll take a look at this very expression, also known as collocation, and we’ll even talk about what kind of different keys there are in Italian and what words you can use to describe them.
Let’s get started! Iniziamo!
To lock in Italian
First of all, let’s translate to lock in Italian.
Chiudere a chiave
To lock

To lock in Italian – Let’s break it down!
Chiudere a chiave literally means to close on key.
Chiave is the Italian translation for key.
Chiudere
To close
Chiave
Key
Mi sono chiuso a chiave!
I locked myself in!

Chiudere is a verb of the second -ere group. Its indicativo presente conjugation is as follows.
io | chiudo |
tu | chiudi |
lui, lei | chiude |
noi | chiudiamo |
voi | chiudete |
loro | chiudono |
Title: Italian All-in-One For Dummies
Language: English / Italian
Publisher: For Dummies
Pages: 672
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Italian All-in-One For Dummies appeals to those readers looking for a comprehensive, all-encompassing guide to mastering the Italian language. It contains content from all For Dummies Italian language instruction titles, including Italian For Dummies, Intermediate Italian For Dummies, Italian Verbs For Dummies, Italian Phrases For Dummies, Italian Grammar For Dummies, and Italian For Dummies Audio Set.
You’ll find this verb in a variety of other expressions in Italian. It is a very common verb. Some of these expressions are:
Chiudere una telefonata
To end a phone call
(To close a phone call)
Chiudere un occhio
To turn a blind eye to
(To close an eye)
Chiudere il becco
To shut up
(To close one’s beak)

For example, you could say:
Posso chiudere un occhio sull’abbigliamento degli studenti in estate.
I can turn a blind eye to the students’ clothing in the summer.
Mia sorella non chiude mai il becco. Parla in continuazione.
My sister never shuts up. She talks all the time.
Ho appena chiuso la telefonata con Carla. Dovevi dirle qualcosa?
I just finished the phone call with Carla. Did you have to tell her something?
Chiave
We said that the translation for to lock in Italian is chiudere a chiave. Chiave is a feminine noun.
Una chiave
A key
Delle chiavi
Some keys
La chiave
The key
Le chiavi
The keys

Non trovo le chiavi di casa.
I can’t find my house keys.
Sul tavolo c’è una grossa chiave arrugginita.
On the table there is a large rusty key.
There’s more than one kind of key in Italian. More often than not, this key is a purely conceptual one, as in
Parola chiave
Keyword
Chiave di volta
Cornerstone
Chiavi in mano
All inclusive, turnkey
(Keys in hand)

For example, you could say…
Qual è la parola chiave per aprire il cancello?
What is the keyword to open the gate?
(In computer science, password is more often used.)
La libertà di parola è la chiave di volta della democrazia.
Freedom of speech is the cornerstone of democracy.
La casa viene venduta chiavi in mano.
The house is sold all inclusive.
There is also the verb chiudere a doppia mandata. It’s the equivalent of the English verb to double lock.
Chiudere a doppia mandata
To double lock
Other words featuring key in Italian are:
Portachiavi
Key ring
Chiave di riserva
Spare key
La chiave del mio appartamento è nel portachiavi.
The key to my apartment is on the key ring.

To lock in Italian – Examples
Ti sei ricordato di chiudere a chiave la porta d’ingresso?
Did you remember to lock the front door?
Qualunque cosa accada, tenete la porta chiusa e non uscite.
No matter what happens, keep the door locked and don’t come outside.
Mio fratello si è dimenticato di chiudere a chiave la porta del garage.
My brother forgot to lock the garage door.
Non dimenticare di chiudere la porta a chiave quando esci.
Don’t forget to lock the door when you leave.
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