German · Everyday Verbs
"to close" in German: schließen
schließen
Note: also: zumachen
To close in German is schließen. Say Ich schließe die Tür or Das Geschäft schließt um sechs. Past participle is geschlossen.
Leaving home
Bitte schließe das Fenster.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce schließen
Say it
SHLEE-sen
/ˈʃliːsn̩/
SHLEE-sen. Long ie. Soft ß like ss. Stress first syllable.
"to close" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| schließen | to close Default infinitive. | Default infinitive. |
| ich schließe / du schließt | I/you close Present forms. | Present forms. |
| geschlossen | closed Past participle / adjective. | Past participle / adjective. |
| die Tür schließen | to close the door Common object. | Common object. |
How to use schließen in real life
- 1Leaving home
Bitte schließe das Fenster.
Please close the window.
Schließe is du imperative/present.
- 2Shop hours
Der Laden schließt um 18 Uhr.
The shop closes at 6 p.m.
Schließt.
- 3Status
Die Tür ist schon geschlossen.
The door is already closed.
Geschlossen.
Mistakes English speakers make with schließen
Incorrect: Mach die Tür zu. (only for this page)
Correct: Schließe die Tür.
Zumachen is common, but this headword is schließen.
Incorrect: Ich schließ die Tür. (careless spelling)
Correct: Ich schließe die Tür.
Write schließe with -e in full forms.
Good to know
Shops post Geöffnet / Geschlossen on doors. Zumachen is very spoken; schließen is the clear dictionary verb for learning.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Leaving the office
ChatPal
Schließst du noch das Fenster?
Are you still closing the window?
You
Ja, ich schließe es sofort.
Yes, I will close it right away.
ChatPal
Danke. Ist die Tür schon geschlossen?
Thanks. Is the door already closed?
You
Noch nicht. Ich schließe sie jetzt.
Not yet. I will close it now.
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Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to close" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to close" in German
How do you conjugate schließen?
Ich schließe, du schließt, er schließt; past participle geschlossen.
Close the door?
Schließ / Schließe die Tür.
Is zumachen okay?
Yes in speech; this page teaches schließen.
What does geschlossen mean?
Closed.
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- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
