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Conjugation Chart

“Cerrar” (to close) in the Imperfect Tense

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Understanding the Imperfect Tense of “Cerrar”

The Imperfect Tense of Cerrar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Yo cerraba la puerta todas las noches antes de acostarme. (I used to close the door every night before going to bed.)

Cerrar is a regular -ar verb, so its conjugations in the Imperfect Tense follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

How to Use Cerrar in the Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense of cerrar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, as well as descriptions and states of being.

To close (something): For example, Yo cerraba la puerta todas las noches. (I used to close the door every night.)

To shut down (a business): For example, La tienda cerraba temprano los domingos. (The store used to close early on Sundays.)

To end or conclude (an event): For example, El concierto cerraba con un gran espectáculo de fuegos artificiales. (The concert used to end with a grand fireworks display.)

To block or obstruct: For example, La policía cerraba las calles durante las manifestaciones. (The police used to block off the streets during protests.)

To secure or lock up: For example, Mis abuelos cerraban bien la casa antes de irse a dormir. (My grandparents used to secure the house well before going to bed.)

To come to an agreement (colloquial): For example, No cerrábamos el trato porque no nos poníamos de acuerdo en el precio. (We couldn’t close the deal because we couldn’t agree on the price.)

Real Life Examples of Cerrar in the Imperfect Tense

Yo cerraba la puerta de mi casa todas las noches antes de irme a dormir. (I used to close the door of my house every night before going to bed.)

Cuando era niño, mi mamá cerraba las ventanas cuando llovía. (When I was a child, my mom used to close the windows when it rained.)

El mesero cerraba el restaurante a la medianoche todos los días. (The waiter used to close the restaurant at midnight every day.)

Antes de salir de viaje, cerrábamos todas las ventanas y puertas de la casa. (Before going on a trip, we used to close all the windows and doors of the house.)

Mis abuelos cerraban su negocio a las seis de la tarde. (My grandparents used to close their business at six in the evening.)

Cuando cerraba los ojos, podía imaginar un mundo mejor. (When I closed my eyes, I could imagine a better world.)

En la escuela, el conserje cerraba las puertas después de que todos se fueran. (At school, the janitor used to close the doors after everyone left.)

Cada vez que cerrábamos un trato, celebrábamos con nuestros colegas. (Every time we closed a deal, we celebrated with our colleagues.)

Ella cerraba su diario con llave para mantener sus secretos a salvo. (She used to lock her diary to keep her secrets safe.)

Cuando cerraba los ojos, podía escuchar la música más claramente. (When I closed my eyes, I could hear the music more clearly.)

El portero cerraba las puertas del edificio a las diez de la noche. (The doorman used to close the doors of the building at ten o’clock at night.)

Antes de irnos de vacaciones, cerrábamos todas las ventanas y apagábamos las luces. (Before going on vacation, we used to close all the windows and turn off the lights.)

Cuando cerraba los ojos, podía sentir la brisa fresca en mi rostro. (When I closed my eyes, I could feel the cool breeze on my face.)

El gerente cerraba la oficina a las seis de la tarde todos los días. (The manager used to close the office at six in the evening every day.)

Cada vez que cerrábamos un capítulo de nuestras vidas, nos sentíamos renovados. (Every time we closed a chapter of our lives, we felt renewed.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Cerrar (to close) in the Imperfect Tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Imperfect tense is also known as the Past Imperfect, Descriptive Past, Past Progressive, or Imperfect Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Imperfecto, Copretérito, Imperfecto de Indicativo, or Pasado Descriptivo in Spanish.