K1. Key / Kick off / Keep from

1. key to / a key factor to
: the key to a desirable situation or result is the way in which it can be achieved.
: the most important part of achieving something or explaining a situation

ex) Hard work is the key to success.
ex) I firmly believe that a strong sense of determination is a key factor to a successful life.
ex) Diet and relaxation are two important keys to good health. 
ex) This may sound like a cliche, but I think the key to staying ahead of the competition is to constantly innovate.
ex) The key to success is to be ready from the start. 

 

2. kick off 
: to get started, begin
: If an event, game, series or discussion kicks off, or is kicked off, it begins.

ex) The chairman's speech will kick off the conference.
ex) The conference kicked off with a speech by the chairman.
ex) These record-breaking bushfires in Australia have been kicked off by things like lightning strikes, a few cases of arsons and winds. 

ex) Let's kick off the meeting with a brief introduction from our new team members.

ex) We’re going to kick off the project with a brainstorming session to gather everyone's input.

ex) Let's kick off this meeting.
ex) The festival kicks off on Monday, September 13.

 

3. keep from (keep sb/sth from doing sth) (~ 때문에 ... 하지 못했다 로도 가능)
: to prevent sb or sth from doing sth
: The phrase "keep from" is used to convey the act of preventing something from happening or restraining oneself or someone else from doing something.

ex) Try to keep the children from throwing food all over the floor.
ex) ..... to keep China from financing foreign governments that are of strategic importance to the United States.
ex) Wrapping bread and storing it in the fridge keeps it from going stale so quickly.
ex) We need to keep the new project details from being leaked to the public until the official announcement.

ex) We need to keep the expenses from exceeding the allocated budget for this quarter.

ex) She was so excited about the promotion that she could hardly keep herself from telling everyone.

ex) To keep from getting overwhelmed, it’s important to prioritize tasks and delegate when necessary.

ex) To our regret, lack of time kept us from visiting the palace.