When you're learning French, you quickly discover that a single English word often has many French equivalents. "To close" is a perfect example! While fermer is the most common and versatile option, relying solely on it can make your French sound a bit repetitive or even unnatural in certain contexts.

Understanding the nuances of different verbs for "to close" will not only enrich your vocabulary but also help you express yourself with greater precision and fluency. Imagine describing closing a book versus closing a business – the French often use different words!

Let's dive into 9 different ways to say "to close" in French, exploring their specific meanings and when to use them!

The standard 'to close' – fermer

The standard “to close” – fermer

Fermer is the most common and versatile verb for “to close” in French.

As a regular -ER verb, fermer follows predictable conjugation patterns, making it relatively easy to learn.

Most often, fermer is used transitively, meaning it takes a direct object. You close something specific, like a door, a window, or a book. For example: Je ferme la porte. (I close the door.)

It can also be used reflexively as se fermer, meaning “to close itself” or “to shut.” This is common when talking about shops or places closing. For example: Le magasin ferme à 18h. (The shop closes at 6 PM.)

Fermer extends beyond physical objects. You can fermer une entreprise (close a business), fermer un compte (close an account), or even fermer un chapitre de sa vie (close a chapter of one's life).

Several idiomatic expressions use fermer, such as fermer les yeux (to close one's eyes/to turn a blind eye) and fermer sa bouche (to shut one's mouth).

The past participle, fermé (masculine singular) or fermée (feminine singular), acts as an adjective meaning “closed.” For instance: La porte est fermée. (The door is closed.)

While fermer is standard, you might encounter clore. Clore is less common, often more formal or literary, and typically refers to closing a meeting, a debate, or an event, rather than physical objects.

From closing a window to a shop, fermer is indispensable for everyday communication in French. Master this verb, and you'll be able to express many common actions.

💡 * Je vais fermer la fenêtre. (I am going to close the window.)

La banque ferme à cinq heures. (The bank closes at five o'clock.)

N'oublie pas de fermer la lumière en partant. (Don't forget to turn off the light when leaving.)

Il faut fermer le livre après la lecture. (You must close the book after reading.)

Elle a fermé les yeux pour dormir. (She closed her eyes to sleep.)

The 'to close' (an event, a debate, a session) – clore

When you need to express the idea of closing an event, a debate, or a session in French, the verb to use is clore.

Clore specifically means to close, to conclude, or to bring to an end something formal or abstract, like a meeting, a discussion, a legislative session, or even an account.

It's important to note that clore is an irregular verb. While it's not used as frequently as some other verbs, its unique conjugation is crucial for correct usage, especially in formal contexts.

Unlike fermer, which means to close a physical object (like a door, a window, or a book), clore is reserved for non-physical, usually more abstract or formal 'closings'. You wouldn't use clore to close a door.

The verb clore carries a sense of finality and formality. It suggests a definitive conclusion to a process or an official proceeding, often with a ceremonial or official tone.

One of the most common ways you'll encounter clore is in its past participle form, clos (masculine singular), close (feminine singular), clos (masculine plural), closes (feminine plural), especially in phrases like le débat est clos (the debate is closed/concluded).

💡 * Le débat est clos. (The debate is closed.)

Ils ont clos la session. (They closed the session.)

Les comptes sont clos. (The accounts are closed.)

La conférence se clora demain. (The conference will close tomorrow.)

Nous devons clore cette discussion. (We must close this discussion.)

The 'to lock' or 'to bolt' – verrouiller

When you need to express the action of 'to lock' or 'to bolt' in French, the verb you'll reach for is verrouiller.

Verrouiller directly translates to 'to lock' or 'to bolt'. Its root comes from the French noun le verrou, which means 'the bolt' (as in a physical locking mechanism).

As a regular -er verb, verrouiller follows standard conjugation patterns, making it relatively straightforward to learn once you know the basic rules for this verb group.

Most commonly, verrouiller is used for physically securing something, such as a door, window, or a gate. Think of it as applying a physical lock or bolt to an object.

Beyond physical objects, verrouiller can also be used in a more figurative sense, especially in technology. You might verrouiller an account, a computer screen, or even a system to prevent unauthorized access or changes.

The related noun, le verrou, refers to the physical bolt or lock itself. For example, 'mettre le verrou' means 'to put on the bolt' or 'to lock'.

The opposite action, 'to unlock', is expressed by adding the prefix dé-, forming the verb déverrouiller. This is a common pattern in French for creating antonyms.

💡 * Il faut verrouiller la porte avant de partir. (You must lock the door before leaving.)

J'ai verrouillé mon compte pour des raisons de sécurité. (I locked my account for security reasons.)

Elle a verrouillé son téléphone avec un code. (She locked her phone with a code.)

Le système est verrouillé pour maintenance. (The system is locked for maintenance.)

N'oublie pas de mettre le verrou. (Don't forget to put on the bolt/lock it.)

The 'to seal' (an envelope, a container) – sceller

The verb sceller (pronounced 'seh-lay') means 'to seal' in French. It refers to the act of closing something securely, often with a specific material or device, to prevent opening or leakage.

Its most common literal use is for sealing an envelope, a letter, or a document, ensuring its contents remain private or protected. Think of applying wax, glue, or a stamp to secure a closure.

Sceller is also used when referring to sealing a container, a package, or a bottle, making it airtight or tamper-proof. This could involve hermetically sealing food items or closing a box securely.

Beyond its literal sense, sceller can also be used figuratively to mean 'to seal' or 'to confirm' a pact, a destiny, or an agreement, giving it a sense of finality and commitment.

💡 * Il faut sceller cette lettre avant de l'envoyer. (We must seal this letter before sending it.)

J'ai scellé le paquet avec du ruban adhésif. (I sealed the package with adhesive tape.)

Le couvercle est bien scellé. (The lid is well sealed.)

Ils ont scellé leur amitié par un serment. (They sealed their friendship with an oath.)

Ce contrat a scellé notre accord. (This contract sealed our agreement.)

The 'to fold down' or 'to close by folding' – rabattre

The verb rabattre primarily means 'to fold down,' 'to lower,' or 'to close by folding.'

It’s commonly used when referring to physically lowering or folding something, such as a car top, a collar, or a seat.

Beyond physical folding, rabattre can also mean 'to bring back,' 'to redirect,' or 'to force down/back,' often in the context of controlling a group or an animal.

In a more abstract sense, it can imply 'to reduce' or 'to discount,' especially when talking about prices or quantities.

The reflexive form, se rabattre sur, means 'to fall back on' or 'to resort to' something else when a primary option isn't available.

Overall, rabattre is a versatile verb covering actions from physical folding to redirection and even making do with an alternative.

💡 * Il faut rabattre le capot de la voiture. (You need to fold down the car hood.)

Le berger a rabattu ses moutons vers la bergerie. (The shepherd brought his sheep back towards the sheepfold.)

On a dû rabattre le prix de 10%. (We had to reduce the price by 10%.)

Faute de mieux, nous nous sommes rabattus sur le plan B. (For lack of anything better, we fell back on plan B.)

Elle a rabattu le col de sa chemise. (She folded down the collar of her shirt.)

The 'to close again' or 'to re-close' – refermer

The French verb refermer literally means 'to close again' or 'to re-close'. It is formed by adding the prefix re- (meaning 'again' or 'back') to the common verb fermer (to close).

The crucial distinction for refermer is the 'again' component. You use it when an object was previously open, or had been closed, then opened, and is now being closed once more. It emphasizes a repeated action of closing.

This verb is frequently used for actions like closing a door, a window, a book, a box, or any container after it has been opened. Think of it as the counterpart to opening something that was already accessible.

Refermer is a regular -er verb and conjugates exactly like fermer. It follows the pattern of regular -er verbs, often with a slight stem change in some tenses (e.g., je referme, tu refermes, il referme).

💡 * J'ai ouvert la fenêtre et je l'ai aussitôt refermée à cause du froid. (I opened the window and immediately closed it again because of the cold.)

Après avoir pris un document, n'oubliez pas de refermer le tiroir. (After taking a document, don't forget to re-close the drawer.)

Peux-tu refermer le pot de confiture après t'être servi ? (Can you re-close the jam jar after serving yourself?)

Il a refermé son parapluie en entrant dans le bâtiment. (He closed his umbrella again upon entering the building.)

La blessure s'est refermée lentement. (The wound slowly closed again.)

The 'to buckle' or 'to close (a loop, a budget)' – boucler

The verb boucler in French has several key meanings, primarily revolving around the idea of closing or fastening. It can mean 'to buckle' a belt or a strap, but also 'to close' or 'to finish' something, often implying the completion of a cycle or a budget.

In its most literal sense, boucler means 'to buckle' or 'to fasten' something with a buckle. This is commonly used for items like belts, seatbelts, or even shoelaces if they have a buckle-like mechanism.

Beyond physical fastening, boucler is frequently used to mean 'to close' a financial period, 'to finalize' a budget, or even 'to complete' a task or a journey. It conveys the idea of bringing something to a successful conclusion, often after a period of effort, like 'closing the loop'.

💡 * Il a bouclé sa ceinture avant de démarrer. (He buckled his seatbelt before starting.)

Elle doit boucler son budget avant la fin du mois. (She must balance/finalize her budget before the end of the month.)

Nous avons bouclé le projet à temps. (We finished the project on time.)

Le journal a bouclé son édition de minuit. (The newspaper closed its midnight edition.)

Après un an de voyage, ils ont enfin bouclé la boucle. (After a year of travel, they finally came full circle/completed their journey.)

The 'to obstruct' or 'to block off (a passage)' – obstruer

The verb obstruer means 'to obstruct' or 'to block off (a passage).'

Obstruer is commonly used to describe physically blocking a passage, a view, or a channel, making it impassable or difficult to use. It emphasizes the act of creating an obstacle.

Beyond physical blockages, obstruer can also be used figuratively to mean to hinder or impede progress, or to cloud someone's judgment or a process. It implies a deliberate or unintentional impediment.

Obstruer is a regular -er verb, meaning its conjugation follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in -er. It is often used with a direct object.

💡 *Le débris a obstrué le tuyau d'évacuation. (The debris obstructed the drainpipe.)
*La voiture mal garée a obstrué l'entrée du garage. (The poorly parked car blocked the garage entrance.)
*Ses préjugés ont obstrué son jugement. (His prejudices clouded his judgment.)
*Ne pas obstruer la sortie de secours. (Do not obstruct the emergency exit.)
*Ils ont tenté d'obstruer la justice. (They tried to obstruct justice.)

The 'to bar' or 'to block (an entrance, a road)' – barrer

The French verb barrer directly translates to 'to bar' or 'to block (an entrance, a road)'. It's a fundamental verb when discussing physical obstructions or preventing passage.

Barrer is a regular -er verb, which means its conjugation follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in -er. This makes it relatively straightforward to learn and use in various tenses.

Its most common use is to describe physically blocking an entrance, a road, or a path. For instance, you might barrer l'entrée (to bar the entrance) or barrer la route (to block the road).

Barrer can also be used figuratively to mean 'to cross out' or 'to strike through' something written. For example, barrer un mot means 'to cross out a word' in a document. It can also imply blocking someone's progress or path in a more abstract sense, as in barrer le chemin à quelqu'un (to block someone's way/path).

A frequently used expression is barrer la route à quelqu'un, which means 'to block someone's path' or 'to hinder someone's progress', often in a competitive or metaphorical context. Another is barrer le passage, meaning 'to block the passage'.

💡 *La police a barré la route. (The police blocked the road.)
*Il faut barrer ce paragraphe. (One must cross out this paragraph.)
*Ne me barre pas le chemin ! (Don't block my way!)
*Ils ont barré l'accès au bâtiment. (They barred access to the building.)
*J'ai barré mon nom sur la liste. (I crossed out my name on the list.)

Are there other ways to say 'to close' in French?

Our guide has focused on the most common and versatile verbs for 'to close' in French. However, the French language, rich in expression, offers a spectrum of terms, from formal to colloquial, and even regionalisms, that can convey similar meanings.

If you’re curious to explore further, consider an online search for phrases like 'synonymes de fermer' or 'expressions pour clore en français'. You might also specify a Francophone country or region to discover local usages.

As you delve into these alternatives, always cross-reference definitions and observe their usage in authentic contexts. This practice ensures you grasp the precise nuance and avoid misapplication.

Immerse yourself in French media—books, films, podcasts—and actively listen for different ways people express the act of 'closing'. This natural exposure is invaluable for expanding your vocabulary.

For a comprehensive resource on the verb fermer and its related expressions, including conjugations and idiomatic phrases, the WordReference entry is an excellent starting point.

I trust this article has provided clarity on how to say 'to close' in French. As we conclude, remember this insightful thought from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: 'Ce n'est pas la fin, mais le début d'une autre histoire.' (It is not the end, but the beginning of another story.)

9 ways to say "to close" in French