Inklingo

How to Say "closed" in Spanish

English → Spanish

cerrado

se-RRAH-dohθeˈraðo/ or /seˈraðo

adjectiveA1general
Use 'cerrado' when describing a physical state of being shut or not open, like a store or a door.
A simple, solid brown wooden door completely shut within a white frame, illustrating that it is physically closed.

Examples

La oficina está cerrada hasta las nueve.

The office is closed until nine.

¿Por qué tienes el libro tan cerrado?

Why do you have the book so shut?

Hemos cerrado el negocio por hoy.

We have closed the business for today.

Ella ya había cerrado la caja fuerte antes de que llegáramos.

She had already closed the safe before we arrived.

Adjective Agreement

Like many Spanish descriptions, 'cerrado' must match the thing it describes in both gender and number: 'la tienda está cerrada' (feminine singular), 'los ojos están cerrados' (masculine plural).

Forming Perfect Tenses

To talk about actions that finished in the past but relate to the present (like 'I have closed'), you use the helper verb 'haber' followed by this form ('cerrado'). Note that 'cerrado' itself never changes form here, regardless of who did the closing.

Using Ser instead of Estar

Mistake: “La tienda es cerrada.”

Correction: La tienda está cerrada. Use 'estar' because being closed is usually a temporary state, not an inherent quality.

Changing the Participle Form

Mistake: “Hemos cerradas las ventanas.”

Correction: Hemos cerrado las ventanas. When used with 'haber' to form a tense, the participle ('cerrado') is 'invariable' (it always stays the same).

cerrado

se-RRAH-dohθeˈraðo/ or /seˈraðo

past participleA2general
Use 'cerrado' as a past participle to indicate a completed action of closing something, often with 'haber'.
A simple, solid brown wooden door completely shut within a white frame, illustrating that it is physically closed.

Examples

Hemos cerrado el negocio por hoy.

We have closed the business for today.

La oficina está cerrada hasta las nueve.

The office is closed until nine.

¿Por qué tienes el libro tan cerrado?

Why do you have the book so shut?

Ella ya había cerrado la caja fuerte antes de que llegáramos.

She had already closed the safe before we arrived.

Adjective Agreement

Like many Spanish descriptions, 'cerrado' must match the thing it describes in both gender and number: 'la tienda está cerrada' (feminine singular), 'los ojos están cerrados' (masculine plural).

Forming Perfect Tenses

To talk about actions that finished in the past but relate to the present (like 'I have closed'), you use the helper verb 'haber' followed by this form ('cerrado'). Note that 'cerrado' itself never changes form here, regardless of who did the closing.

Using Ser instead of Estar

Mistake: “La tienda es cerrada.”

Correction: La tienda está cerrada. Use 'estar' because being closed is usually a temporary state, not an inherent quality.

Changing the Participle Form

Mistake: “Hemos cerradas las ventanas.”

Correction: Hemos cerrado las ventanas. When used with 'haber' to form a tense, the participle ('cerrado') is 'invariable' (it always stays the same).

cerró

verbA1general
Use 'cerró' (preterite tense of 'cerrar') to describe the specific past action of someone closing something.

Examples

Ella cerró la ventana porque hacía frío.

She closed the window because it was cold.

sellado

seh-yah-dohseˈʝaðo

adjectiveA2general
Use 'sellado' when the meaning is 'sealed' in a more metaphorical or official sense, like a letter or an agreement.
A glass jar filled with colorful jam, with a tightly screwed-on metal lid showing a wax seal around the rim.

Examples

El sobre está sellado.

The envelope is sealed.

Necesitas el pasaporte sellado para entrar.

You need the stamped passport to enter.

Compré jamón sellado al vacío.

I bought vacuum-sealed ham.

The 'O' or 'A' Rule

Since this word is describing something, you must change the ending to match. Use 'sellado' for masculine items (el sobre) and 'sellada' for feminine items (la caja).

Using with 'Estar'

We usually use this word with 'estar' because being sealed is often a state or condition that can change (the box is currently sealed).

Seal vs. Sealed

Mistake: “Puse un sellado en la carta.”

Correction: Puse un sello en la carta. 'Sello' is the physical stamp; 'sellado' is the description of the letter after you stamp it.

Cerrado vs. Cerró

The most common mistake is confusing the adjective 'cerrado' (describing a state) with the verb form 'cerró' (describing a past action). Remember, 'cerrado' is often used with 'estar' to describe the state of being closed, while 'cerró' is a specific past action performed by a subject.

Related Translations

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