Shut in Different Languages
Discover 'Shut' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'shut' is simple, yet holds great significance in our daily lives. It represents the act of closing, whether it's a door, a book, or a conversation. This word has been used in various cultural contexts, including literature and music, and is often associated with endings or transitions.
Did you know that 'shut' has been used in English literature as early as the 14th century? It's also a popular term in music, where it's used to indicate the end of a musical phrase. Moreover, the phrase 'shut eye' is an interesting idiom that means to sleep or to feign sleep.
Understanding the translation of 'shut' in different languages can be beneficial for travelers, language learners, and those interested in cultural diversity. Here are a few examples:
- Spanish: cerrar
- French: fermer
- German: schließen
- Mandarin: 关闭 (guān bì)
- Japanese: 閉まる (shimaru)
Shut
Shut in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | toe | ||
| This Afrikaans word has meanings of "pull to", "tug on", "draw" or "close" | |||
| Amharic | ዝጋ | ||
| Possibly a loanword from Arabic "سدّ" (sadda, "to block") | |||
| Hausa | rufe | ||
| In other contexts, "rufe" can mean "hide" or "be quiet". | |||
| Igbo | mechie | ||
| In the Igbo word 'mechie,' the 'me' is often elided when the word functions as an imperative, and the root '-chie' relates to the idea of 'closing.' | |||
| Malagasy | voarindrina | ||
| The Malagasy word "voarindrina" also means "to close something with a lid" or "to imprison someone". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | tseka | ||
| "Tseka" is also used to denote locking a door, covering something or stopping movement. | |||
| Shona | shut | ||
| The word “shut” derives from the Old English word “scittan,” meaning “to cut off” or “to separate.” | |||
| Somali | xir | ||
| The word | |||
| Sesotho | koala | ||
| The word "koala" in Sesotho can also mean "to be closed" or "to be locked". | |||
| Swahili | funga | ||
| The Swahili word "funga" also means "to close", "to seal", and "to imprison or detain." | |||
| Xhosa | vala | ||
| The word "vala" can also mean "to close" or "to block" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | sé | ||
| "Sé" also means "put on" or "wear" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | vala | ||
| The word "vala" can also mean "to surround" or "to fence off" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | ka datugu | ||
| Ewe | tu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | funga | ||
| Lingala | kokanga | ||
| Luganda | okuggalawo | ||
| Sepedi | tswalela | ||
| Twi (Akan) | to mu | ||
Shut in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | اغلق | ||
| "اغلق" is derived from the root "غلق" meaning to lock, close, or fasten. | |||
| Hebrew | לִסְגוֹר | ||
| The verb לִסְגוֹר also connotes 'to close' but more figuratively, such as closing a deal | |||
| Pashto | بندول | ||
| The word "بندول" is an adjective that can also mean "blind" or "deaf" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | اغلق | ||
| "اغلق" is derived from the root "غلق" meaning to lock, close, or fasten. | |||
Shut in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mbyllur | ||
| The word mbyllur is likely related to the Latin word "clausus," meaning "enclosed" or "closed." | |||
| Basque | itxi | ||
| In the eastern dialect, "itxi" can also mean "to switch on" or "turn on". | |||
| Catalan | tanca | ||
| The Catalan word "tanca" derives from the Latin word "tancare", meaning "to close" or "to shut", and also has the alternate meaning of "fence" or "enclosure". | |||
| Croatian | zatvoriti | ||
| The Croatian word "zatvoriti" originates from the Proto-Slavic root "*zъtvorъ", meaning "to lock" or "to close". | |||
| Danish | lukke | ||
| Though its primary meaning is to close something, the Danish word 'lukke' can also refer to the act of locking or sealing something to prevent access. | |||
| Dutch | dicht | ||
| In some Belgian dialects, "dicht" also means "near" or "almost". | |||
| English | shut | ||
| "Shut" is the past tense of "shoot" when used to signify the firing of a gun. | |||
| French | fermer | ||
| The French word "fermer" also means "to close" or "to fasten". | |||
| Frisian | ticht | ||
| The word "ticht" in Frisian is derived from Proto-Germanic word "tukan", meaning "to close" or "to shut". | |||
| Galician | pecha | ||
| The origin of the Galician word "pecha" is unknown, but it is cognate with the Spanish word "pecho" (chest). | |||
| German | geschlossen | ||
| "Geschlossen" can also refer to a closed system, a closed society, or a concluded chapter. | |||
| Icelandic | lokaðu | ||
| The verb "lokaðu" in Icelandic can also mean "to complete" or "close (a transaction)". | |||
| Irish | dúnta | ||
| In Irish, 'dúnta' also denotes a 'closed-circuit television camera' or 'CCTV'. | |||
| Italian | chiuso | ||
| The feminine form, 'chiusa', can refer to a musical passage that is soft and gentle. | |||
| Luxembourgish | zoumaachen | ||
| Derived from 'zuemaachen', a verb with the same meaning. | |||
| Maltese | għalaq | ||
| "Għalaq" also means "to close (a shop)," "to lock," "to turn off a light" and "to finish something." | |||
| Norwegian | lukke | ||
| "Lukke" is a cognate of the English word "lock" and originally meant "to close by inserting a bar or bolt" | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | fechar | ||
| The Portuguese word "fechar" is derived from the Vulgar Latin "ficcare", meaning "to fix" or "to attach." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dùinte | ||
| The Gaelic word ''dùinte'' comes from the Old Irish word ''do-ind'', which means ''to close'' or ''to prevent''. | |||
| Spanish | cerrar | ||
| "Cerrar" derives from Latin "serrāre," which means "to bolt or bar," but it can also mean to finish or end. | |||
| Swedish | stänga | ||
| Stänga also means 'to fence' in Swedish, reflecting the common use of fences to close off an area. | |||
| Welsh | cau | ||
| The word "cau" can also mean "a hollow" or "a harbour" in Welsh. | |||
Shut in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | зачыніць | ||
| The word "зачыніць" comes from the Old Belarusian word "зачинити", which is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *zatьčiniti, meaning "to close" or "to lock." | |||
| Bosnian | zatvoriti | ||
| The word 'zatvoriti' in Bosnian also means 'to imprison' or 'to close off'. | |||
| Bulgarian | затвори | ||
| The word 'затвори' is also used to refer to closing a door or a window. | |||
| Czech | zavřeno | ||
| Though the Czech word "zavřeno" means "shut," it can also mean "closed" or "finished" in the sense of a task or project being completed. | |||
| Estonian | kinni | ||
| The Estonian word "kinni" can also refer to a place or an establishment, such as a store or a school. | |||
| Finnish | sulkea | ||
| The origin of the word sulkea "to shut" is debated, potentially coming from a hypothetical Uralic root word *sulki "doorway" or Indo-European *kel- "to hide." | |||
| Hungarian | zárva | ||
| The word "zárva" also means "enclosed" or "confined" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | aizveries | ||
| "Aizveries" also refers to an archaic measure of weight equal to 34.4 kilograms. | |||
| Lithuanian | uždaryti | ||
| Related to a Lithuanian verb for "to close, to cover" and a noun for "cover". | |||
| Macedonian | затвори | ||
| 'Затвори' also means 'to imprison' and originated from the Persian word 'بند' (band), which has a similar meaning. | |||
| Polish | zamknąć | ||
| In Polish, "zamknąć" initially meant "to lock" but now also covers "to shut". | |||
| Romanian | închide | ||
| The etymology of the Romanian word "închide" is unclear, with theories ranging from Slavic to Dacian roots. | |||
| Russian | закрыть | ||
| The word "закрыть" was originally used to refer to the act of covering something with a lid or cloth, and later came to mean "to close" in general. | |||
| Serbian | затвори | ||
| In addition to meaning "to close," "затворити" can also mean "to imprison" or "to conceal." | |||
| Slovak | zavrieť | ||
| The word "zavrieť" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*vorti", meaning "to turn" or "to close". | |||
| Slovenian | zaprti | ||
| The word "zaprti" can also refer to "constipated" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | закрито | ||
| The word "закрито" also means "closed for business" | |||
Shut in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বন্ধ | ||
| The word "বন্ধ" is also used to describe a strike, referring to the closing of businesses or workplaces. | |||
| Gujarati | બંધ | ||
| The term "બંધ" is an antonym of "open" which means "closed or inactive", or can refer to a lock used to secure doors. | |||
| Hindi | बंद | ||
| The word 'band' in English, derives from the Proto-Germanic *bandaz meaning 'cord' or 'bond' and is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European *bendʰ-, meaning 'to bind' | |||
| Kannada | ಮುಚ್ಚಿ | ||
| The word "ಮುಚ್ಚಿ" (shut) can also refer to an enclosure or a covering, such as a box or a lid. | |||
| Malayalam | അടച്ചു | ||
| The word "അടച്ചു" also means "closed" and is often used to describe the closure of a shop or business. | |||
| Marathi | बंद | ||
| The word "बंद" can also mean "to close" or "to finish" in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | बन्द | ||
| "बन्द" also means "closed" but in the context of shops and businesses. For example, a shop that is closed for the day is called "बन्द छ". | |||
| Punjabi | ਬੰਦ | ||
| The word "band" in Punjabi can also mean "to close" or "to stop". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වසා දමන්න | ||
| Tamil | மூடு | ||
| The word "மூடு" is possibly derived from the Proto-Dravidian word "*muṭ-" (to block out). | |||
| Telugu | మూసివేయి | ||
| The word ''మూసివేయి '' is derived from the Sanskrit word ''मुद्रा'' (mudra), meaning "to seal" or "to close". | |||
| Urdu | بند | ||
| The word "بند" in Urdu can also refer to a dam, a dike, or a section of a poem. | |||
Shut in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 关闭 | ||
| "关闭"也可指「將程式或系統結束」或「將網頁或檔案關閉」等。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 關閉 | ||
| "關" also means "to care about" and "to pass through, and connect two things". | |||
| Japanese | シャット | ||
| The term is derived from Old English "scyttan", meaning "to bar, lock, or obstruct" | |||
| Korean | 닫은 | ||
| The word "닫은" also means "to close" or "to shut" in Korean, and is often used in the context of closing a door or window. | |||
| Mongolian | хаах | ||
| The word "хаах" also means "to close" or "to shut off". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပိတ် | ||
Shut in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | menutup | ||
| The word "menutup" also has the alternate meaning "to wrap (something) up". | |||
| Javanese | mati | ||
| The word "mati" in Javanese can also mean "to die" or "to extinguish". | |||
| Khmer | បិទ | ||
| "បិទ" can also mean "the state of being shut" or "the act of shutting". | |||
| Lao | ປິດ | ||
| The Lao word "ປິດ" can also mean "to end" or "to finish". | |||
| Malay | tutup | ||
| The word "tutup" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "*tutup", meaning "to cover" or "to close". | |||
| Thai | ปิด | ||
| The word "ปิด" in Thai can also refer to the act of turning something off, such as a light or a machine. | |||
| Vietnamese | đóng cửa | ||
| "Đóng cửa" (shut) can also mean "to close (a shop) for business" or "to lock (a door)" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | isara | ||
Shut in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | bağla | ||
| In Turkish, "bağla" also means "to bind" or "to connect". | |||
| Kazakh | жабу | ||
| The word "жабу" in Kazakh means "cover" or "close" a lid, but it can also be used to describe the action of "pressing down" or "compressing" something. | |||
| Kyrgyz | жабуу | ||
| The word "жабуу" also means "to cover" or "to close" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | пӯшед | ||
| The word "пӯшед" can also mean "covered" or "hidden" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | ýap | ||
| Uzbek | yoping | ||
| The word "yoping" also means "to fall" and "to fall down" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | تاق | ||
Shut in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pani | ||
| The Hawaiian word "pani" means "to shut" or "to close" and is related to the Proto-Polynesian word "pani" meaning "to cover" or "to shut off". | |||
| Maori | kati | ||
| Maori "kati" also means closed or stopped. | |||
| Samoan | tapuni | ||
| The Samoan word "tapuni" is also used to mean "lock up" or "close off". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | patahimikin | ||
| "Patahimikin" (shut) comes from the root word "tahimik" (quiet), with the prefix "pa- " indicating an action or process. | |||
Shut in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jist'antaña | ||
| Guarani | mboty | ||
Shut in International Languages
| Esperanto | fermu | ||
| The Esperanto word "fermu" derives from Latin "firmus" (firm, strong), cognate with English "firm". | |||
| Latin | clausas | ||
| Clausas can also refer to a paragraph in a medieval law book, or to a monastic cell. | |||
Shut in Others Languages
| Greek | κλειστός | ||
| The word "κλειστός" may also refer to a particular type of fishing net closed at the bottom, a closed space, or a closed period of time. | |||
| Hmong | kaw | ||
| The word may originate from the Hmong "haw," meaning "to shut". This is a different meaning than the modern use of the word, which is "a kind of bird." | |||
| Kurdish | girtin | ||
| The word 'girtin' (shut) in Kurdish also has the alternate meaning of 'to keep something secret or hidden'. | |||
| Turkish | kapamak | ||
| The word "kapamak" can also mean "to close" or "to cover" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | vala | ||
| The word "vala" can also mean "to close" or "to block" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | פאַרמאַכן | ||
| The Yiddish word "פאַרמאַכן" (farmakhn) originally meant "to block" or "to cover" and is related to the German word "vermachen". | |||
| Zulu | vala | ||
| The word "vala" can also mean "to surround" or "to fence off" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | বন্ধ | ||
| Aymara | jist'antaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | बंद | ||
| Dhivehi | އެއްޗެއް ލެއްޕުން | ||
| Dogri | बंद करना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | isara | ||
| Guarani | mboty | ||
| Ilocano | iserra | ||
| Krio | lɔk | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | داخستن | ||
| Maithili | बंद करनाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯤꯡꯖꯤꯟꯕ | ||
| Mizo | khar | ||
| Oromo | cufuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବନ୍ଦ କର | | ||
| Quechua | wichqasqa | ||
| Sanskrit | संवृ | ||
| Tatar | ябык | ||
| Tigrinya | ዕጸው | ||
| Tsonga | pfala | ||