閉まる vs 閉める
JLPT N5 vocabulary · what is the difference?
閉まる (しまる) means something closes by itself and takes が: ドアが閉まります. 閉める (しめる) means a person closes something, and that thing takes を: ドアを閉めます. Choose by the particle rather than the English — が goes with 閉まる, を goes with 閉める.
When to use each
閉まる
しまる
Use 閉まる when the thing closes on its own or is simply closed — train doors, a shop shutting for the day, a window that is already shut. The thing takes が.
ドアが閉まります。ご注意ください。
ドアがしまります。ごちゅういください。
The doors are closing. Please be careful.
その店は九時に閉まります。
そのみせはくじにしまります。
That shop closes at nine.
閉める
しめる
Use 閉める when someone closes something. The thing closed takes を. Any request or report of a person shutting a door, window or lid uses 閉める.
寒いので窓を閉めてください。
さむいのでまどをしめてください。
It's cold, so please close the window.
私が最後にドアを閉めました。
わたしがさいごにドアをしめました。
I was the one who closed the door last.
Sentences where only one works
ドアが閉まりました。
ドアがしまりました。
The door closed.
が — the door closed by itself, perhaps automatically or in the wind.
ドアを閉めました。
ドアをしめました。
I closed the door.
Same door, but を puts a person behind the action, so the verb becomes 閉める.
窓が閉まっています。
まどがしまっています。
The window is closed.
The plain state of the window now, saying nothing about who shut it.
窓を閉めてあります。
まどをしめてあります。
The window has been closed deliberately.
The transitive 閉める with てある says someone closed it on purpose and left it so.
Common mistakes
ドアを閉まってください。
ドアを閉めてください。
A request to a person is transitive and ドア takes を, so it must be 閉める. 閉まる cannot take an を object.
店が八時に閉めます。
店は八時に閉まります。
Opening hours describe the shop closing, with no doer, so 閉まる. 店を閉める means the owner shuts up shop.
窓が閉めています。
窓が閉まっています。
To say a window is currently closed, use the intransitive 閉まっている. が with 閉める is ungrammatical.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 閉まる and 閉じる?
閉まる is the everyday word for doors, windows and shops closing. 閉じる is a little more formal or written and is often transitive (本を閉じる, 目を閉じる). For N5 sentences, stick with 閉まる and 閉める.
How is this the same as 開く/開ける?
It is the mirror image: 閉まる and 開く take が and describe the event, 閉める and 開ける take を and add a person doing it. 入る/入れる and 集まる/集める follow the same rule.
Can I use 閉める for a shop going out of business?
Yes — 店を閉める is closing a shop down, since the owner is doing it. For the shop simply being shut for the night, use 閉まる.