How to Say "to close" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to close” is “cerrar” — use 'cerrar' when referring to the physical act of shutting or closing doors, windows, books, eyes, or businesses.
cerrar
seh-RRAHRseˈraɾ
Examples
Por favor, cierra la puerta al salir.
Please, close the door when you leave.
Siempre cierro la ventana antes de que empiece a llover.
I always shut the window before it starts to rain.
The Shoe/Boot Verb Change
In the present tense, 'cerrar' is irregular. The 'e' changes to 'ie' in the singular forms and the 'ellos/as/ustedes' form—everywhere except the 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' forms. This pattern is called a 'shoe verb' because the irregular forms look like they fit inside a shoe.
Forgetting the Stem Change
Mistake: “Yo cerro la puerta.”
Correction: Yo cierro la puerta. (Remember: e changes to ie!)
clausurar
klou-soo-rahrklawsuˈɾaɾ
Examples
El Rey va a clausurar el congreso internacional esta tarde.
The King is going to close the international congress this afternoon.
Ayer se clausuraron los Juegos Olímpicos con un gran espectáculo.
The Olympic Games were closed yesterday with a great show.
El director clausuró el curso académico con un emotivo discurso.
The director concluded the academic year with a moving speech.
Events and Ceremonies
This word is perfect for describing the end of a series of events, like the last day of a fair or the final speech of a meeting.
Using 'cerrar' for formal events
Related Translations
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