el museo está cerrado
/el museo esta θerado/from spelling rules
The English phrase "the museum is closed" is translated into Spanish as el museo está cerrado.
This phrase is used to state that a museum is not open for visitors.
Which one should you use?
The sentence uses the verb está (from the verb *estar*) rather than es (from the verb *ser*). This is because being closed is viewed as a temporary state or condition of the museum.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin America, it is common to hear El museo está cerrado por hoy to indicate that the museum is closed for the day.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, the adjective cerrado must agree in gender with the masculine noun museo.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use the feminine form el museo está cerrada. Although English speakers might mistakenly use this if they are thinking of a galería (gallery), you must use the masculine cerrado to agree with museo.
Did you know?
- If you are talking about a museum in Spain, you might see a sign saying Cerrado por inventario. This means the museum is closed specifically to count its collection, a common way for institutions to close without actually being out of business.
- While cerrado is the standard term for closed, you might see the word clausurado on a sign. This implies a much more serious situation, such as a museum being shut down by authorities due to a legal or safety violation.
- The word museo traces back to the Greek word for the 'Muses', the goddesses of inspiration. This means that, etymologically, a museum is actually a place dedicated to the divine daughters of Zeus.
Examples in context
- Ahora el museo está cerrado.The museum is closed now.Tatoeba #1055619 by Shishir, translation #44492 by CK
- Tengo entendido que el museo está cerrado los lunes.I understand the museum is closed on Mondays.Tatoeba #574402 by darinmex, translation #282555 by CK
- Lo siento, pero el museo está cerrado hoy.I'm sorry, but the museum is closed today.
Example conversation
María and Daniel are standing in front of the museum entrance.
- MaríaMira, el museo está cerrado.Look, the museum is closed.
- Daniel¿En serio? No me lo esperaba.Really? I wasn't expecting that.
- MaríaDaniel, ¿podemos ir al parque entonces?Daniel, can we go to the park instead?
- DanielSí, es una buena idea.Yes, that's a good idea.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cerrado, el, museo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
