Five different verbs meaning "to close" with the same kanji (閉)


When using Google Translate for the verb "to close", among the many
suggestions, there are five different verbs all with the same Kanji:

  * 閉じる _(tojiru)_
  * 閉ざす _(tozasu)_
  * 閉める _(shimeru)_
  * 閉まる _(shimaru)_
  * 閉てる _(tateru)_

I can guess that the difference between 閉める and 閉まる is the transitivity: 閉める
is transitive while 閉まる is intransitive.

**But what are the differences of all five?**




[閉]{し}まる is intransitive, [閉]{し}める, [閉]{と}ざす, [閉]{た}てる are transitive, and
[閉]{と}じる can be transitive and intransitive.

  * [閉]{し}まる -- intransitive. Something (physically) closes.  
「ドアが閉まる」 a door closes  
「門が閉まる」a gate closes  
「店が閉まる」 a shop closes / shuts down

  * [閉]{し}める -- transitive. To (physically) close something.  
「ドアを閉める」 close a door  
「門を閉める」 close a gate  
「店を閉める」 close a shop / shut down a business

  * [閉]{と}じる -- transitive / intransitive.  
intransitive: "for something to close" "to come to an end"  
「ドアが閉じる」 a door closes  
「つぼみが閉じる」 a flower bud closes  
「店が閉じる」 a shop/business closes permanently  
「会が閉じる」 a meeting ends  
transitive: "to close something" "to bring something to an end"  
「目を閉じる」 close one's eyes  
「口を閉じる」 close one's mouth  
「傘を閉じる」 close an umbrella  
「店を閉じる」 shut down a business permanently  
「歴史を閉じる」 end its history  
「生涯を閉じる」 end one's lifetime -> to die

According to [this
dictionary](https://kotobank.jp/word/%E9%96%89%E3%81%98%E3%82%8B-583607), 閉じる
is more used with 目, 口, 本, 傘, and 閉める with 引き出し, 門.

  * [閉]{と}ざす -- transitive. To block, close up, seclude, refuse, lock, bolt ([鎖]{とざ}す)  
Often used figuratively.  
「道を閉ざす」 block a road; close the door (to success, victory, future, career,
etc.)  
「門を閉ざす」 lock a gate; close the door (to the world, etc.); (for school) to
refuse students  
「国を閉ざす」 close the country  
「口を閉ざす」 keep silent / refuse to say anything (about...)  
「心を閉ざす」 close one's mind  
「耳を閉ざす」 shut one's ear (to...) / refuse to listen (to...)

  * [閉]{た}てる -- transitive. Exclusively used for [雨戸]{あまど}(sliding shutter), [障子]{しょうじ}(sliding paper door/screen) and [襖]{ふすま}(sliding door). Sounds old-fashioned; probably almost obsolete in modern Japanese.  
「雨戸を閉てる(or立てる)」 close shutters (「雨戸・障子・襖を[閉]{し}める」 is more commonly used.)




[閉]{し}まる is intransitive, [閉]{し}める, [閉]{と}ざす, [閉]{た}てる are transitive, and
[閉]{と}じる can be transitive and intransitive.

  * [閉]{し}まる -- intransitive. Something (physically) closes.  
「ドアが閉まる」 a door closes  
「門が閉まる」a gate closes  
「店が閉まる」 a shop closes / shuts down

  * [閉]{し}める -- transitive. To (physically) close something.  
「ドアを閉める」 close a door  
「門を閉める」 close a gate  
「店を閉める」 close a shop / shut down a business

  * [閉]{と}じる -- transitive / intransitive.  
intransitive: "for something to close" "to come to an end"  
「ドアが閉じる」 a door closes  
「つぼみが閉じる」 a flower bud closes  
「店が閉じる」 a shop/business closes permanently  
「会が閉じる」 a meeting ends  
transitive: "to close something" "to bring something to an end"  
「目を閉じる」 close one's eyes  
「口を閉じる」 close one's mouth  
「傘を閉じる」 close an umbrella  
「店を閉じる」 shut down a business permanently  
「歴史を閉じる」 end its history  
「生涯を閉じる」 end one's lifetime -> to die

According to [this
dictionary](https://kotobank.jp/word/%E9%96%89%E3%81%98%E3%82%8B-583607), 閉じる
is more used with 目, 口, 本, 傘, and 閉める with 引き出し, 門.

  * [閉]{と}ざす -- transitive. To block, close up, seclude, refuse, lock, bolt ([鎖]{とざ}す)  
Often used figuratively.  
「道を閉ざす」 block a road; close the door (to success, victory, future, career,
etc.)  
「門を閉ざす」 lock a gate; close the door (to the world, etc.); (for school) to
refuse students  
「国を閉ざす」 close the country  
「口を閉ざす」 keep silent / refuse to say anything (about...)  
「心を閉ざす」 close one's mind  
「耳を閉ざす」 shut one's ear (to...) / refuse to listen (to...)

  * [閉]{た}てる -- transitive. Exclusively used for [雨戸]{あまど}(sliding shutter), [障子]{しょうじ}(sliding paper door/screen) and [襖]{ふすま}(sliding door). Sounds old-fashioned; probably almost obsolete in modern Japanese.  
「雨戸を閉てる(or立てる)」 close shutters (「雨戸・障子・襖を[閉]{し}める」 is more commonly used.)

