German Opening & Closing Vocabulary
This set covers the everyday mechanics of opening and closing things in German, from the plain verbs öffnen and schließen to the more specific aufschließen (to unlock) and zuschlagen (to slam shut). English speakers often assume one verb covers 'close' the way it does in English, but German splits the idea by mechanism: schließen for the general act, verriegeln for bolting something, and versiegeln for sealing it shut, each pointing to a different physical action.
Learn these 17 words
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All 17 words
- geöffnetA1
opened, open
Der Laden ist samstags bis 16.00 Uhr geöffnet. — The shop is open until 4 PM on Saturdays.
closed
Die Bank hat am Samstag geschlossen. — The bank is closed on Saturday.
- öffnenA1
open
Ich öffne die Tür. — I open the door.
to close
Bitte, schließen Sie die Tür. — Please close the door.
- zu seinA1
to be closed
Die Tür ist zu. — The door is closed.
to lock
Hast du die Tür abgeschlossen? — Did you lock the door?
to open
Kannst du bitte die Tür aufmachen? — Can you please open the door?
to unlock
Kannst du bitte die Haustür aufschließen? — Can you please unlock the front door?
plural: die Klinken
door handle
Er drückt die Klinke, um hineinzugehen. — He presses the handle to go inside.
- zumachenA2
to close
Machst du bitte das Fenster zu? — Can you please close the window?
to slam shut
Der Wind lässt die Tür zuschlagen. — The wind makes the door slam shut.
plural: die Riegel
bolt
Schieb den Riegel vor die Tür. — Slide the bolt across the door.
to bolt, lock
Er verriegelt jeden Abend das Fenster. — He bolts the window every evening.
to lock, seal shut
Bitte verschließen Sie den Safe sorgfältig. — Please lock the safe carefully.
locked
Das Tor bleibt nachts verschlossen. — The gate stays locked at night.
to seal (up)
Der Brief wurde versiegelt. — The letter was sealed.
to lock (wenig benutzt)
Die Tür wurde arretiert. — The door was locked.
How to learn this set
Notice how many of these words share the root -schließen: schließen, abschließen, aufschließen, verschließen. The prefix does the work here. Ab- gives you 'lock up' (leaving somewhere), auf- gives you 'unlock' (the opposite of ab-, not of schließen itself), and ver- gives you 'seal shut for good'. Drill these four together as a family and the prefixes will start doing the translating for you instead of the dictionary. Keep der Riegel and die Klinke separate in your head by picturing the object: a Riegel is the metal bolt you slide across, a Klinke is the handle you push down.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between öffnen and aufmachen?
Both mean 'to open', but öffnen is neutral and works everywhere, while aufmachen is the everyday spoken version. You'd write 'Die Bank öffnet um 9 Uhr' but say 'Kannst du das Fenster aufmachen?' to a friend.
What is the difference between schließen and zumachen?
Same relationship as above: schließen is the standard, slightly formal word for closing something, and zumachen is what people actually say in conversation. 'Bitte schließen Sie die Tür' on a sign versus 'Mach die Tür zu!' at home.
Is verschließen the same as schließen?
No. Verschließen means closing something so it locks or seals shut for good, often with a key, and it also means to seal (a letter, a container). Schließen just means to close, which might just mean pushing a door shut.
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