Cerrar can mean closing an object, a shop or an account depending on context.

The idea

In the present, stressed e changes to ie in cierro, cierras, cierra and cierran.

Examples

  • Cierro la puerta con cuidado.I close the door carefully.
  • ¿Cierras la ventana por la noche?Do you close the window at night?
  • La tienda cierra a las ocho.The shop closes at eight.
  • Cerramos las cajas antes del viaje.We close the boxes before the trip.
  • Ellos cierran el libro al terminar.They close the book when they finish.
  • Quiero cerrar la cuenta.I want to close the account.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Spanish voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

The nosotros form is cerramos without the stem change; cerrar is the infinitive.

Try it yourself

  1. Choose the present form for I: Yo ___ la puerta. (cierro / cerro)

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    cierro

    Cierro is the present form for yo.

  2. Choose the present form for we: Nosotros ___ las cajas. (cerramos / cierramos)

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    cerramos

    Cerramos has no stem change for nosotros.

  3. Choose the form for the singular shop: La tienda ___ a las ocho. (cierra / cierran)

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    cierra

    Cierra agrees with the singular subject la tienda.

Use it today

Describe what you close at home and when a nearby shop closes.