Palabra Lexi · common words in Spanish
How to say "to close" in Spanish
"To close" in Spanish is cerrar, pronounced seh-RRAHR (stress on the syllable in capitals).
| Spanish | cerrar |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | seh-RRAHR |
| Meaning | to close |
| Part of speech | verb |
| Frequency | #100 in the Palabra list of common Spanish words |
Pronunciation is spelled out in English, one syllable at a time, with the stressed syllable in capitals. The speaker button uses your browser's built-in Spanish voice.
How to pronounce cerrar
Cerrar is pronounced seh-RRAHR, in IPA /θeˈraɾ/ in Spain and /seˈraɾ/ in Latin America. Cerrar has two syllables, seh-RRAHR, with the stress on the second. There is no written accent because the word follows the basic rule: words ending in a consonant other than -n or -s are stressed on the last syllable.
- Z, and c before e or i, is th (as in "think") in most of Spain and s in Latin America.
- Rr, and r at the start of a word, is rolled.
Listen: normal and slow speed, in your browser's Spanish voice. IPA: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.
Example sentences
Cierra la puerta
close the door
cerrar la puerta
to close the door
cerrar la ventana
to close the window
How to remember cerrar
cerrar [seh-RRAHR] sounds like the English “sierra”. Picture this:
Close the shutters — the sierra wind is coming down the mountain with sand in its teeth.
A sound-alike plus a vivid scene is the keyword method, a well-studied way to learn vocabulary. How it works.
Practice cerrar
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