Onyomi: ヘイ · Kunyomi: し.まる, し.める, た.てる, と.ざす, と.じる · Meanings: closed, shut
Kanji for closed, shut
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The kanji 閉 is built from 門, meaning “gate” or “door,” and 才, which originally showed a hand or action. Together, they depict the act of using one’s hand to close a gate. In early script, this character showed two doors being brought together and secured by hand — symbolizing shutting, sealing, or ending something. Over time, 閉 came to mean closing a door, finishing an activity, or even closing off emotions or opportunities. The image is both physical and emotional — the motion of closure.
閉 joins 門 (gate) and 才 (hand/action) to show a hand closing the doors of a gate. It represents the act of shutting or sealing something — bringing an end or closure, whether it’s a door, meeting, or feeling.
Imagine your hand (才) pushing the two sides of a gate (門) shut until they meet — that’s 閉, the motion of closing something tight.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 閉める | しめる | to close, to shut | common JLPT-N5 Ichidan verb, Transitive verb |
| 閉まる | しまる | to be shut, to close, to be closed | common JLPT-N5 Godan verb with 'ru' ending, Intransitive verb |
| 締め切り | しめきり | deadline, closing, cut-off | common JLPT-N2 JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 閉会 | へいかい | closure (of a ceremony, event, meeting, etc.) | common JLPT-N2 Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb, Intransitive verb |
| 締め切る | しめきる | to close up, to shut up (e.g. behind doors) | common JLPT-N2 Godan verb with 'ru' ending, Transitive verb |
| 閉鎖 | へいさ | closing, closure | common JLPT-N1 Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb |
| 閉口 | へいこう | to be stumped, to be at a loss, to be at one's wits' end, to be nonplussed | common JLPT-N1 Suru verb, Intransitive verb, Noun, Na-adjective (keiyodoshi) |
| 締め出す | しめだす | to shut out, to bar, to lock out, to exclude | common Godan verb with 'su' ending, Transitive verb |
| 閉店 | へいてん | closing up shop (for the day) | common Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb, Intransitive verb |
| 閉ざす | とざす | to shut, to close, to fasten, to lock | common Godan verb with 'su' ending, Transitive verb |
| 閉じこもる | とじこもる | to seclude oneself, to shut oneself away | common Godan verb with 'ru' ending, Intransitive verb |
| 閉じ込める | とじこめる | to lock up, to shut up, to imprison | common Ichidan verb, Transitive verb |
| 閉じる | とじる | to close (e.g. book, eyes, meeting, etc.), to shut | common JLPT-N3 Ichidan verb, Transitive verb, Intransitive verb |
| 閉校 | へいこう | closing a school (for the day) | Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb, Intransitive verb |
| 閉山 | へいざん | ending the climbing season, closure of a mountain to climbers | Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb, Intransitive verb |