閉 means “close, shut”

しめる · shimeru

Also: closed

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

とじる, とざす, しめる, しまる, たてる

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ヘイ

JLPT N3 · Taught in grade 6 · 11 strokes

The story

A gate (門) with a bar (才) wedged across it: shut for the night. 閉める closes doors and windows, 閉じる closes eyes and books, and 閉店 on a shop's sign means it has closed.

Used in 閉める (shimeru, to close), 閉じる (tojiru, to shut), and 閉店 (heiten, store closing)

More from Hands at Work

• 折 fold
• 掛 hang
• 取 take
• 組 group
• 置 put
• 構 structure
• 付 attach
• 消 put out
• 配 distribute
• 除 remove
• 押 push
• 欠 lack

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.