閉める and 閉まる: closing something or closing

The idea

With 閉める, the object normally takes を: ドアを閉めます. With 閉まる, the thing that closes takes が: ドアが閉まります. ドアが閉まっています describes the resulting closed state. The polite past forms are 閉めました and 閉まりました.

Examples

• 私わたしはドアを閉しめます。I close the door.
• 店みせは夜よる八時はちじに閉しまります。The shop closes at eight at night.
• 窓まどがゆっくり閉しまります。The window closes slowly.
• ドアを閉しめてください。Please close the door.
• 風かぜでドアが閉しまりました。The door closed because of the wind.
• ドアが閉しまっていますね。The door is closed, isn’t it?

Watch out

An intransitive sentence does not exclude a cause: 風でドアが閉まりました says the wind caused it to close. 閉まる is not the transitive action of locking a door.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the correct form: I close the door. 私わたしはドアを＿＿。（閉しめます／閉しまります）

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   閉めます

   The speaker acts on the door, marked by を, so use 閉めます.

2. Choose the correct form: The window closes slowly. 窓まどがゆっくり＿＿。（閉しめます／閉しまります）

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   閉まります

   The window is what closes, marked by が, so use 閉まります.

3. Choose the correct form: Please close the door. ドアを＿＿ください。（閉しめて／閉しまって）

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   閉めて

   The door is the object of the request; the て-form of 閉める is 閉めて.

Use it today

Describe closing a window, the window closing and the window being closed.