cerrar
to close
Reviewed by: David WestfallCofounder
To close or shut something
Encoding Strategies:
mnemonic
sear
to seal shut with heat
+
-ar
verb suffix
Cerrar means to close and sounds like the English word sear0, like searing meat to seal it shut and lock in the juices.
cerrar
to close, to shut
Closing a physical thing so that nothing gets through, like a door, a jar, or your eyes.
Cierra la puerta, por favor, que entra fríoClose the door, please, cold is coming in
Cerré el libro y apagué la lámparaI shut the book and turned off the lamp
to close, to shut down (a shop or business)
A shop or business closing, either for the night or for good.
La panadería cierra los domingosThe bakery closes on Sundays
Cerraron la fábrica después de veinte añosThey shut down the factory after twenty years
to close, to conclude (a deal or a debate)
Bringing a deal, a debate, or a meeting to an end. Once it's closed, nothing more can go into it.
Cerramos el trato esta mañanaWe closed the deal this morning
El profesor cerró el debate con una preguntaThe teacher concluded the debate with a question
to turn off, to shut off (water, gas, lights)
Turning off water, gas, or electricity by closing the valve or the switch so that nothing flows through.
Cierra la llave del agua mientras te cepillasTurn off the water while you brush your teeth
Hay que cerrar el gas antes de salir de viajeYou have to shut off the gas before leaving on a trip
to heal, to close up (a wound)
A wound healing over. The skin comes back together and closes the opening.
La herida cerró en pocos díasThe wound healed in a few days
El corte todavía no cierra bienThe cut still hasn't closed up properly
cerrarse
to zip up, to button up (clothing)
Closing up a jacket or coat you're wearing. The se tells you the jacket is on you, so you're closing it on yourself.
Ciérrate la chaqueta que hace vientoZip up your jacket, it's windy
Se cerró el abrigo hasta el cuelloHe buttoned up his coat to the neck
to cloud over, to close in (sky, night)
The sky turning dark or overcast. It closes itself off, sealed over by clouds or blotted out by nightfall.
El cielo se cerró y empezó a lloverThe sky clouded over and it started to rain
Se cerró la noche antes de que llegáramosNight closed in before we arrived
to shut down, to close up (a person)
Someone going quiet and withdrawn instead of opening up. They close themselves off, so nothing gets in and nothing comes out.
Cuando le pregunto por su padre, se cierraWhen I ask him about his father, he shuts down
Se cerró y no quiso hablar más del asuntoShe closed up and didn't want to talk about it anymore
cerrarse a
to be closed to, to refuse to consider
Refusing to consider an idea or an option. You close yourself to it, so it never gets in.
No me cierro a la idea de mudarmeI'm not closed to the idea of moving
Se cerró a cualquier cambio en el planHe refused to consider any change to the plan