Inklingo

How to Say "closed" in Spanish

English → Spanish

cerrado

se-RRAH-doh/θeˈraðo/ or /seˈraðo/

adjectiveA1general
Use 'cerrado' when describing the state of something being physically shut or not open, often referring to a place or a business.
A simple, solid brown wooden door completely shut within a white frame, illustrating that it is physically closed.

Examples

La tienda está cerrada los domingos.

The store is closed on Sundays.

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.

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

past participleA2general
Use 'cerrado' as a past participle when referring to a completed action of closing, often used with auxiliary verbs like 'haber'.

Examples

Hemos cerrado la cuenta bancaria.

We have closed the bank account.

cerró

verbA1general
Use 'cerró' for the simple past tense (preterite) of the verb 'cerrar', indicating a specific, completed action of closing performed by a subject.

Examples

Él cerró la puerta con llave.

He closed the door with a key.

Adjective vs. Verb

Learners often confuse the adjective 'cerrado' (closed state) with the past tense verb 'cerró' (he/she/it closed). Remember, 'cerrado' describes a condition, while 'cerró' is a specific past action performed by someone or something.

Related Translations

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