How to Say "to shut" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to shut” is “cerrar” — A1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
English → SpanishA1
verbA1
physical object (gate, lid)
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!)
Related Translations
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