閉める (しめる, shimeru) Japanese meaning: close | Kotomora

閉しめる

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Common wordJLPTN5Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

閉める · ichidan verb

Meanings

ichidan verb, transitive verb

Transitive: used when someone closes a door, window, lid, shop, etc. The thing being closed is normally marked with を.

閉しまるN5
閉める is transitive (someone closes something), while 閉まる is intransitive (something closes or is closed) — 閉まる ↔ 閉める.

閉とじるN3
閉じる is a broader, more literary word for closing things like books, eyes, or meetings, while 閉める is the everyday word specifically for closing doors, windows, and shops.
クローズ
閉める is the everyday native verb for closing doors, shops, or windows, while クローズ is the katakana word that gives the same action a businesslike or technical feel.
締しめ切きるN3
閉める is the plain verb for closing something like a door or window, while 締め切る stresses shutting it completely and tightly, often for a period of time.
閉へい店てんN1
閉める is a general verb for closing anything (a door, a shop), while 閉店 is the specific noun/verb for a business ending its day or shutting down.

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閉とざす
閉める is the common everyday word for closing a door or window, while 閉ざす implies a firmer, more complete, or more figurative closure.
たたむN3
閉める just means to close something like a door or shop for the moment, whereas 店を畳む implies shutting the business down permanently.
しまうN3
閉める is the general verb for closing something (a door, a shop for the day), while 仕舞う often implies closing a business permanently or for good.

開あけるN5
開ける means to open something, the direct opposite of 閉める, to close something.

締しめるN5
締める (same reading, different kanji) means to tighten, fasten, or bring to a close, not to shut a door or window like 閉める.
絞しめる
絞める and 閉める are pronounced identically, but 閉める means to close something like a door or shop, unrelated to strangling.
閉とじ込こめる
閉める is the general verb for shutting doors, windows, or shops, while 閉じ込める specifically means to confine someone or something by closing them in.

The kanji 閉 is conventionally associated with closing or shutting. The broader historical derivation of the word is not specified.