cerrar la reja
/θeraɾ la ɾexa/from spelling rules
To close the gate in Spanish is cerrar la reja.
This phrase is used when you want to shut a fence or a barrier that controls access to an area.
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form cerrar la reja is the infinitive, which is used for the 'to' form of the verb. If you are giving a command to a single person informally, use the imperative form cierra la reja. To give a command to a group of people, use the imperative form cierren la reja.
How do you pronounce it?
/θeraɾ la ɾexa/
Did you know?
- The word reja can refer to the iron bars of a prison cell, making the phrase cerrar la reja sound much more ominous in a legal or criminal context.
- The verb cerrar is a distant relative of the English word 'serried', as in 'serried ranks'. Both come from the Latin word for a bolt or cross-bar.
- Depending on the region, a person might use reja specifically for a barred gate, while using portón for a large wooden gate or puerta for a standard door.
Examples in context
- No olvides cerrar la reja al salir.Don't forget to close the gate when you leave.
- Debes cerrar la reja para que no escape el perro.You must close the gate so the dog doesn't escape.
Example conversation
At the entrance of a house with a small garden.
- SofíaAlejandro, ¿puedes cerrar la reja?Alejandro, can you close the gate?
- AlejandroSí, Sofía, lo haré ahora mismo.Yes, Sofía, I will do it right now.
- SofíaGracias, es que está un poco abierta.Thanks, it's just that it is a bit open.
- AlejandroNo hay problema, ya quedó cerrada.No problem, it is closed now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cerrar, la, reja, CC BY-SA 4.0.
