Introduction
Cerrar means “to close”, and this page covers exactly one thing: cerrar in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for cerrar, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about cerrar in the present. Cerrar is the verb for closing doors, windows, boxes and books. The thing closed is the direct object, with no preposition. For example: “Yo cierro la ventana por la noche.” — I close the window at night. Everything on this page uses the forms of cerrar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.
Cerrar in the Present Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cierro |
| tú | cierras |
| él/ella/Ud. | cierra |
| nosotros/as | cerramos |
| vosotros/as | cerráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cierran |
Gerund: cerrando · Past participle: cerrado
The gerund is cerrando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy cerrando” means the action of cerrar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is cerrado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he cerrado” is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how cerrar is used.
How the present of cerrar is formed
Cerrar is a stem-changing -ar verb: the stem vowel changes from e → ie in the stressed forms. That means yo, tú, él/ella/Ud. and ellos/ellas/Uds. take the changed stem, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. Start from the stem cerr and add the regular -ar endings -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an: you get cierro, cierras, cierra, then back to the unchanged stem for cerramos and cerráis, and the changed stem again for cierran. The nosotros and vosotros forms are the ones learners most often get wrong, because they expect the change everywhere — it is not there. Learn the four changed forms and the two unchanged forms as two groups and the pattern becomes automatic.
When to use the present of cerrar
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use cerrar in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. Closing doors and windows
Cerrar is the verb for closing doors, windows, boxes and books. The thing closed is the direct object, with no preposition. Example: “Yo cierro la ventana por la noche.” — I close the window at night.
2. Closing a shop
Cerrar also describes closing a shop or a business for the day. It is how shopkeepers talk about their hours. Example: “La tienda cierra a las nueve.” — The shop closes at nine.
3. Closing an account or a deal
Cerrar una cuenta or cerrar un trato means to close an account or a deal. It is the business use of the verb. Example: “Nosotros cerramos el trato hoy.” — We close the deal today.
4. Habits and routines
The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and cerrar is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos los días, siempre or cada semana to make the routine explicit. Example: “Yo cierro la ventana por la noche.” — I close the window at night.
5. What is happening right now
The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. Spanish often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with cerrar in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nosotros cerramos el trato hoy.” — We close the deal today.
Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the preterite describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as todos los días or siempre, while the preterite sentences use ayer or la semana pasada. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.
Present Tense: “Yo cierro la ventana todas las noches.” — I close the window every night.
Preterite: “Ayer yo cerré la ventana por la noche.” — Yesterday I closed the window at night.
Todas las noches describes a routine, so the present is right; ayer names one finished night, so the preterite is right.
Present Tense: “La tienda cierra a las nueve todos los días.” — The shop closes at nine every day.
Preterite: “La tienda cerró a las nueve ayer.” — The shop closed at nine yesterday.
Todos los días signals repetition, so the present fits; ayer names one finished day, so the preterite fits.
Present Tense: “Yo cierro la ventana por la noche.” — I close the window at night.
Preterite: “Ayer, yo cerré la ventana por la noche.” — the same action, but finished yesterday instead of repeated as a habit.
The present sentence is true every day; the preterite sentence is true once, yesterday. That difference — routine versus one finished event — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: cerrar in the present
Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.
“Yo cierro la ventana por la noche.” — I close the window at night.
“¿Tú cierras la puerta?” — Do you close the door?
“La tienda cierra a las nueve.” — The shop closes at nine.
“Nosotros cerramos el trato hoy.” — We close the deal today.
“Vosotros cerráis las ventanas.” — You close the windows.
“Ellos cierran el libro.” — They close the book.
“Yo cierro con llave por la noche.” — I lock up at night.
“Mi padre cierra la puerta del garaje.” — My father closes the garage door.
Common mistakes with cerrar in the present
These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo cerramos la ventana.” Right: “Yo cierro la ventana.” Why: The yo form is cierro, with the e → ie change, not cerramos. The change appears in yo, tú, él and ellos, while nosotros and vosotros keep the e: cerramos, cerráis.
Wrong: “Nosotros cierran el trato.” Right: “Nosotros cerramos el trato.” Why: Nosotros keeps the unchanged stem: cerramos, not cierran. The stem change never applies to nosotros or vosotros.
Wrong: “Yo cierro la ventana ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo cerré la ventana.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to cerré.
Wrong: “Ellos cierra el libro.” Right: “Ellos cierran el libro.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form cierran. The singular cierra belongs with él, ella or a singular noun such as la tienda.
Quiz: cerrar in the present
Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.
1. Complete the sentence: “Yo ______ la ventana por la noche.” (I close the window at night.)
- (a) cierras
- (b) cierra
- (c) cierro
Answer: cierro — The yo form of cerrar in the present is cierro. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ la puerta?” (Do you close the door?)
- (a) cierra
- (b) cierras
- (c) cierro
Answer: cierras — The tú form of cerrar in the present is cierras. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
3. Complete the sentence: “La tienda ______ a las nueve.” (The shop closes at nine.)
- (a) cierra
- (b) cierro
- (c) cierras
Answer: cierra — The él/ella/Ud. form of cerrar in the present is cierra. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ el trato hoy.” (We close the deal today.)
- (a) cierro
- (b) cierras
- (c) cerramos
Answer: cerramos — The nosotros/as form of cerrar in the present is cerramos. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
5. What is the vosotros/as form of cerrar in the present?
- (a) cierras
- (b) cerráis
- (c) cierro
Answer: cerráis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes cerráis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros cerráis las ventanas.” to fix it in your memory.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ el libro.” (They close the book.)
- (a) cierro
- (b) cierras
- (c) cierran
Answer: cierran — The subject needs the ellos/ellas/Uds. form, which is cierran.
7. Cerrar is a stem-changing verb (e → ie). Which form keeps the ORIGINAL stem?
- (a) cerramos
- (b) cierro
- (c) cierran
Answer: cerramos — In a e → ie stem-changing verb, nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem, while yo, tú, él and ellos take the changed stem. So cerramos is the unchanged form.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something that happens regularly?
- (a) Yo cierro la ventana todas las noches.
- (b) Ayer yo cerré la ventana por la noche.
- (c) Ayer yo cerré la ventana por la noche.
Answer: Yo cierro la ventana todas las noches. — “Yo cierro la ventana todas las noches.” describes something repeated, so it takes the present tense. The other two sentences describe single finished occasions in the past, not habits.
Frequently asked questions
Is cerrar regular in the present tense?
No. Cerrar is a stem-changing -ar verb: the e of the stem becomes ie in the stressed forms yo, tú, él and ellos (cierro, cierras, cierra, cierran), while nosotros and vosotros keep the e (cerramos, cerráis). The endings are the regular -ar endings.
What is the difference between cerrar and abrir?
Cerrar means to close and abrir means to open: they are opposites. 'Abro la ventana por la mañana y la cierro por la noche' means I open the window in the morning and I close it at night. The two verbs share the same structures.
Does cerrar take a preposition before what you close?
No. What you close is the direct object: 'Cierro la ventana', 'Cierro el libro'. Use con for a tool ('Cierro con llave') and a for a time ('La tienda cierra a las nueve').
Related pages
- Full conjugation of cerrar — every tense of cerrar in one place.
- Cerrar examples and quiz — more sentences with cerrar and a ten-question quiz.
- Spanish present guide — how the present works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Present tense conjugator — conjugate any verb in the present instantly.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on cerrar and other verbs.