fermé
/fɛʁ.me/
The English word "closed" is translated into French as fermé.
fermé is used to describe something that is not open. You can use the straightforward expression C'est fermé to say "it's closed".
Meaning: not open (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, fermé must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. Use fermée for feminine singular subjects, fermés for masculine plural subjects and fermées for feminine plural subjects.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /fɛʁ.me/.
Did you know?
- In France, a shop sign saying fermé often means the owner is just taking a break for lunch, and they may reopen after a few hours.
- The phrase huis clos is so influential that it became the title of a famous existential play by Jean-Paul Sartre where characters are trapped in a room.
- In a professional context, describing a person as fermé d'esprit does not mean they are physically shut, but rather that they are narrow-minded or intolerant.
Examples in context
- Le bar est fermé.The bar is closed.This sentence demonstrates the use of fermé to describe a bar.Tatoeba #5359251 by Aiji, translation #3393301 by CK
- Le pont est fermé.The bridge is closed.This sentence shows fermé being used to describe a bridge.Tatoeba #1816032 by sacredceltic, translation #1815714 by Spamster
- J'ai fermé un œil.I closed one eye.This sentence uses fermé to describe the action of closing an eye.Tatoeba #10999596 by Lumpawurump, translation #5858549 by CK
- Je suis désolé, mais le magasin est fermé.I'm sorry, but the shop is closed.
- 324 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are walking toward a store.
- LéaRegarde, le magasin est fermé.Look, the store is closed.
- NathanC'est bizarre, il est normalement ouvert.That's weird, it's normally open.
- LéaPeut-être que c'est fermé pour travaux.Maybe it is closed for renovations.
- NathanOn ira dans un autre magasin alors.We will go to another store then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “closed” translations and entries fermé, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
