cerró
/seh-RROH/
closed
Depicting the physical action of something being 'closed'.
cerró(verb)
closed
?physical action in the past
,shut
?physical action in the past
locked
?when closing implies locking
📝 In Action
Ella cerró la ventana porque hacía frío.
A1She closed the window because it was cold.
El perro cerró los ojos y se durmió.
A1The dog closed its eyes and fell asleep.
Usted cerró el libro antes de terminarlo.
A2You (formal) closed the book before finishing it.
💡 Grammar Points
Preterite Tense Use
The form 'cerró' tells you that the action of closing happened suddenly and was completely finished in the past. It's a single, completed event.
Verb Stem Change
The base verb 'cerrar' is irregular only in the present tenses (e.g., 'cierro'). In the simple past tense ('cerró'), it follows the regular '-ar' verb pattern.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using Imperfect Instead of Preterite
Mistake: "Él cerraba la puerta."
Correction: Él cerró la puerta. (Use 'cerraba' only if the closing was a habit or ongoing action in the past, not a single event.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Focus on Completion
'Cerró' emphasizes that the door is now closed. If you want to talk about something being closed and staying that way, you might use 'estaba cerrado' instead.
Illustrating a business that has 'closed down' permanently.
cerró(verb)
closed down
?business, permanently
,shut (for the day)
?store hours
went out of business
?permanently
📝 In Action
La tienda cerró temprano por la tormenta.
B1The store closed early because of the storm.
El restaurante de la esquina cerró el mes pasado.
B2The corner restaurant closed down last month.
💡 Grammar Points
Impersonal Subject
When talking about businesses, the subject is often 'el banco' or 'la tienda.' The verb 'cerró' agrees with this third-person singular subject.
⭐ Usage Tips
Permanent vs. Temporary
You can use 'cerró' for both (e.g., 'cerró a las 5' or 'cerró para siempre'). Context usually makes the meaning clear.
Showing that a deal or negotiation has been 'finalized'.
cerró(verb)
finalized
?deal or negotiation
,concluded
?meeting or discussion
sealed
?a pact or agreement
📝 In Action
El equipo de ventas cerró el contrato más importante del año.
B2The sales team finalized the most important contract of the year.
El presidente cerró su discurso con una nota optimista.
C1The president concluded his speech on an optimistic note.
💡 Grammar Points
Figurative Use
In this context, 'cerró' doesn't mean physical closing, but rather bringing a process or discussion to a definitive end.
⭐ Usage Tips
Context Clues
If you see 'cerró' followed by words like 'trato' (deal), 'negociación' (negotiation), or 'ciclo' (cycle), it means 'finalized' or 'concluded.'
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: cerró
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'cerró' to mean that a negotiation was successfully completed?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'cerró' have an accent mark?
The accent mark on 'cerró' is crucial! It tells you that the stress falls on the last syllable, indicating that the action happened in the simple past tense (preterite): 'He/She closed.' Without the accent ('cerro'), it means 'hill' or 'mountain' in Spanish, which is a completely different word.
Is 'cerró' used for people closing their mouths or eyes?
Yes, absolutely. You can use 'cerró' to describe a person or animal closing their eyes ('cerró los ojos') or their mouth ('cerró la boca'), often figuratively to mean 'shut up.'