かける
kakeru
Phones, glasses, dressing: what かける really does
The picture Hooking one end of something onto a target, or draping it over the top. かける is you hanging it on; かかる is it hanging there, hooked.
Where the picture shows up in かける
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hang the line on someone
あとで電話をかけます。
ato de denwa o kakemasu
I'll call you later.
Reaching a line out from your side and hooking it onto the other person's phone
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hang it on your body
めがねをかけて運転します。
megane o kakete unten shimasu
I drive with my glasses on.
Hooking the arms of your glasses over both ears so they hang on your face
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drape it over the top
サラダにドレッシングをかけます。
sarada ni doresshingu o kakemasu
I put dressing on my salad.
Dressing running down over the salad and covering the leaves
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hang it on someone else
ご迷惑をおかけしました。
go-meiwaku o o-kake shimashita
I'm sorry for the trouble I caused.
Taking the load out of your own arms and hanging it on someone else's shoulder
A fixed apology; learn 迷惑をかける as one whole phrase.
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hook the latch shut
寝る前に鍵をかけてください。
neru mae ni kagi o kakete kudasai
Please lock the door before you go to bed.
Hooking the latch over the door handle and letting it click down
All of it in one picture
かける is the picture of hooking one end of something onto a target so it reaches the other side. A phone call hooks your line onto their phone; glasses hook onto your ears; dressing drapes down over the salad; trouble hangs your load on someone else's shoulder; a lock hooks the latch onto the door. Only the thing you hook onto changes — a person, a face, a plate, a shoulder, a door. So wherever かける goes, your hand has hooked something across to the other side and left it hanging there.