JLPT N4・N5 Vocabulary – The difference between “閉める” and” 閉じる”

Table of Contents

1. The difference between “閉しめる” and “閉とじる”
2. 閉しめる
3. 閉とじる
4. Let’s Compare
5. Summary
6. Quiz
7. Similar Articles
8. Comments

Q: What is the difference between “閉しめる” and “閉とじる”?

A: Both “閉しめる” and “閉とじる” are translated as “close” in English, but there is a difference in the objects they are used with.
“閉しめる” generally relates to the act of sealing a physical space, while “閉とじる” relates to the act of returning something to an unusable state.

閉しめる (JLPT N5)

It is used for items such as doors, windows, curtains, shutters, and zippers that are used to block or close off a space.

[Examples]
ドアを閉しめます。
I will close the door.
⇒When the door is closed, people cannot pass through.

カーテンを閉しめました。
I closed the curtain.
⇒ When the curtain is closed, light cannot pass through.

窓まどを閉しめてください。
Please close the window.
⇒ When the window is closed, air cannot pass through.

閉とじる (JLPT N4)

It is used parts of the body such as the eyes and mouth, as well as items like umbrellas, books, and notebooks—things that cannot be used once they are closed.

[Example]　　　　
かさを閉とじます。
I will close the umbrella.
⇒ When the umbrella is closed, it cannot serve its role in preventing rain or snow.

目めを閉とじました。
I closed my eyes.
⇒ When the eyes are closed, nothing can be seen.

教科きょうか書しょを閉とじてください。
Please close the textbook.
⇒ When the textbook is closed, nothing can be read, and you cannot study.

Let’s Compare

“閉しめる” and “閉とじる” change depending not only on the object being described but also on what the speaker chooses to focus on.
In this section, we will look at examples that learners often find confusing and explain the cases where both can be used and the cases where only one is appropriate.

① Lid — Both “閉しめる” and “閉とじる” can be used, but the focus is different

[Examples]
◯ ふたを閉しめました。
I closed the lid. 　
⇒ This focuses on the action of blocking a physical space.
Purpose: Preventing the contents from spilling or escaping.
Nuance: Moving the lid as a physical object to seal the opening.

◯ ふたを閉とじました。
I closed the lid. 　
⇒ This refers to the state in which the contents can no longer be accessed.
Purpose: Returning something that was open back to its original closed state.
Nuance: Ending the “open” state of the object.

② Shop — The meaning changes significantly

[Examples]
◯ 店みせを閉しめます。
I will close the shop. 　
⇒ This is used when ending business for the day.

◯ 店みせを閉とじます。
I will shut the shop. 　
⇒ This is used when permanently shutting down the business.

③ Laptop and applications — Usually “閉とじる” is used

[Examples]
◯ ノートパソコンを閉とじます。
I will close the laptop.
⇒ This refers to the physical action of closing the lid.
* Although it can imply blocking space or returning the device to a non-use state, “閉じる” is generally the verb used.

✕パソコンを閉しめます。
⇒ This is not used in everyday language.

◯ アプリやファイルを閉とじます。
I will close the apps or files.
⇒ It means putting something into a state where it is not being used.

Summary

[閉しめる]

• Items such as doors, windows, shutters, and zippers are moved to block a physical space.
• This verb is often used when creating a condition in which air, people, or light cannot pass through.

[閉とじる]

• This verb is used for things that cannot be used once they are closed, such as the eyes, mouth, umbrellas, books, and notebooks.
• It is used when returning something that was open to a non-use state, and while it is closed, the object cannot be used.

Quiz

Read the following sentence and choose the expression that fits the context from the options provided in the parentheses.

Click on the question to check the answer.

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