schließen
[ˈʃliːsn̩]
The English verb 'close' (as in moving a door or eyes) can be translated into German as schließen or zumachen.
Meaning: move (a door) (verb)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| schließen | [ˈʃliːsn̩] (narrow) [ˈʃliːsən] (Germany, narrow) |
| zumachen | /ˈtsuːmaxən/ |
Both words are used to describe the action of moving something to a shut position, such as a door, window, eyes or curtains.
Which one should you use?
schließen is more formal or literary than zumachen, whereas zumachen is the more common, colloquial way to say 'close' in everyday speech.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
zumachen is a separable verb. In a simple present tense sentence, the prefix moves to the end of the clause, such as in macht die Tür zu. The past participle of schließen is geschlossen, which can be used as an adjective to mean 'closed'.
Did you know?
- While schließen means 'to close', it also means 'to conclude' or 'to infer'. You can use it to describe the act of coming to a logical conclusion in an argument.
- The English word 'slot' is actually a distant relative of the German verb schließen, as both stem from a common root meaning 'to lock' or 'to shut'.
- When a store is closed for the day, a sign will say Geschlossen, but a store that has gone bankrupt is often described as zugemacht.
Examples in context
- Schließen Sie die Augen.Close your eyes.This sentence shows how to use schließen to tell someone to close their eyes.Tatoeba #2198494 by Zaghawa, translation #434446 by lukaszpp
- Nicht die Augen schließen!Don't close your eyes.This sentence uses schließen in a negative command to tell someone not to close their eyes.Tatoeba #641102 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2281541 by CK
- Schließen Sie die Gardine!Close that curtain!This sentence uses schließen to command someone to close a curtain.Tatoeba #13853193 by Naina, translation #9123707 by Missy_Hissy
- Bitte schließen Sie die Tür.Please close the door.
- Mach das Fenster zu!Close the window!
- Die Geschäfte machen um 19 Uhr zu.The stores close at 7 PM.
- Kannst du bitte das Buch zuklappen?Can you please close the book?
- 166 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
In a living room where a draft is coming in.
- SarahLukas, kannst du bitte das Fenster schließen?Lukas, can you please close the window?
- LukasJa, es ist sehr kalt hier.Yes, it is very cold in here.
- SarahDanke, dann schließen wir auch die Tür.Thanks, then we will close the door too.
- LukasAlles klar, ich mache das sofort.All right, I'll do that right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “close” translations and entries schließen, zumachen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries schließen, zumachen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
