Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

Get the Kotomora apps for iOS and Android.

Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides About Support Privacy

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

南京錠 (ナンキンじょう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

南なん京きん錠じょう

ナ

ン

キ

ン

じょ

う

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

A portable lock with a shackle that can be passed through an opening.

自じ転てん車しゃに南なん京きん錠じょうをかける。
I put a padlock on my bicycle.

南なん京きん錠じょうの鍵かぎをなくしてしまった。

I lost the key to the padlock.

Kanji

南south
京capital, 10**16
錠lock, fetters, shackles

Related words

錠じょう
A general term for a lock, while 南京錠 specifically refers to a padlock.
鍵かぎ
Means 'key'; not a lock itself, but often used in contexts involving locking.

Built from

南なん京きん+錠じょう

Etymology

The term 南京 (Nanking) was historically used in Japanese to refer to foreign or imported items, similar to how 'Dutch' was used in English. Thus 南京錠 literally means 'Nanking lock', indicating a type of lock introduced from abroad.