Doors and locks
Collocations, Stage 2chunk 6 of 24Home & daily routine
The front door both ways, opening and shutting, plus locking up: each act paired with the state it leaves.
- doa o akeruopen the door
- doa o shimeruclose the door
- doa ga akuthe door opens (aiteru = is open)
- doa ga shimaruthe door closes (shimatteru = is shut)
- kagi o kakerulock (a door, bike, locker)
- kagi ga kakaru(a door) locks, gets locked (kakatteru = is locked)
Mix-ups Each act with o has a ga partner for what the door does or how it is now: akeru/aku, shimeru/shimaru, kakeru/kakaru. Keep doa akete (open it) apart from doa aiteru (it's open), and kagi kakete (lock it) apart from kagi kakatteru (it's locked).
doa o akeru
polite doa o akemasuopen the door
ドアを開ける ドアをあける ドアを開けます
verbakeru 開けるopen something (a door, a box, your eyes)typical 39% of doa
trap English 'open' does both jobs. Someone opening it is akeru (doa akete); the door opening or being open is aku (doa aiteru).
For opening a door yourself or asking someone to: doa akete (open the door), often with kureru when your hands are full. Casual speech drops o; a door that is open is doa aiteru.
gomen, doa akete kureru?
Sorry, can you open the door for me?
ごめん、ドア開けてくれる？
sumimasen, doa o akete moraemasu ka?
Excuse me, could you open the door?
すみません、ドアを開けてもらえますか？
On the intercom, hai, ima akemasu ne (I'll let you in now) is a common reply when buzzing someone through the entrance; at your own front door it's usually hai, ima ikimasu.
Same verb: mado (window), kaaten (curtains), futa (lid), kagi (lock: unlock it)Learn alongside: doa o shimeru, doa ga aku, doa ga shimaru, mado o akeru, mado o shimeru, kaaten o shimeru, me o tojiru (Stage 4)Main list: -te kureru (Stage 2)
doa o shimeru
polite doa o shimemasuclose the door
ドアを閉める ドアをしめる ドアを閉めます
verbshimeru 閉めるshut something (a door, a window, a lid); with kagi, locktypical 12% of doa
trap Not tojiru: dictionaries give it for 'close', but tojiru is for eyes, books and apps. Doors, windows and lids are shimeru.
Mostly a request or reminder: doa shimete (shut the door), chanto shimete ne. Casual speech drops o; a door that is shut is doa shimatteru.
samui kara, doa shimete.
It's cold, shut the door.
寒いから、ドア閉めて。
samui node, doa o shimete kudasai.
It's cold, so please close the door.
寒いので、ドアを閉めてください。
With kagi the same verb means lock: kagi shimeta? = did you lock up?
Same verb: mado (window), kaaten (curtains), futa (lid), kagi (lock: lock up)Learn alongside: doa o akeru, doa ga aku, doa ga shimaru, mado o akeru, mado o shimeru, kaaten o shimeru, me o tojiru (Stage 4)
doa ga aku
polite doa ga akimasuthe door opens (aiteru = is open)
ドアが開く ドアがあく ドアが開きます
verbaku 開くcome open, be open; also become free or emptytypical 11% of doa
trap Not doa ga akeru: when the door opens by itself or is open, use aku (doa aiteru). akeru needs someone doing it.
Mostly heard as doa aiteru (the door's open) or doa aita (it opened). Train and lift announcements usually say doa ga hirakimasu instead, so expect both sounds. When a person opens it, use doa o akeru.
genkan no doa aiteru yo.
The front door's open.
玄関のドア開いてるよ。
genkan no doa ga aite imasu yo.
The front door is open.
玄関のドアが開いていますよ。
Closing follows the same pattern: doa ga shimaru / doa o shimeru.
Same verb: mado (window), futa (lid), kagi (lock: be unlocked), mise (shop: be open for business)Learn alongside: doa o akeru, doa o shimeru, doa ga shimaru, mado o akeru, mado o shimeru, kaaten o shimeru, me o tojiru (Stage 4)
doa ga shimaru
polite doa ga shimarimasuthe door closes (shimatteru = is shut)
ドアが閉まる ドアがしまる ドアが閉まります
verbshimaru 閉まるof a door, window or lid: close by itself, or be shuttypical 3% of doa
trap Not doa ga shimeru: with ga the verb is shimaru (doa shimatteru). shimeru needs someone doing the shutting, as in doa shimete.
Heard in every train and lift announcement: doa ga shimarimasu (the doors are closing). At home it's mostly the state, doa shimatteru (the door's shut), or doa shimatchatta when it swings shut by itself.
genkan no doa, chanto shimatteru?
Is the front door properly shut?
玄関のドア、ちゃんと閉まってる？
genkan no doa wa chanto shimatte imasu ka?
Is the front door properly closed?
玄関のドアはちゃんと閉まっていますか？
A door that won't shut is doa ga shimaranai; the opening half is doa ga aku.
Same verb: mado (window), futa (lid), kagi (lock: be locked), shattaa (shutter)Learn alongside: doa o akeru, doa o shimeru, doa ga aku, mado o akeru, mado o shimeru, kaaten o shimeru, me o tojiru (Stage 4)Main list: -teru (Stage 1), -chau (Stage 1)
kagi o kakeru
polite kagi o kakemasulock (a door, bike, locker)
鍵をかける かぎをかける 鍵をかけます
verbkakeru かけるhang or put something onto something; set a device goingtypical 17% of kagi
trap English 'lock' has no single verb here: the object is kagi (the lock), not the door, and you put it on with kakeru. In casual speech kagi o shimeru (kagi shimeta?) is just as common. rokku suru is mostly for cars and phones.
Said when leaving the house or going to bed: kagi kaketa? (did you lock it?), kagi kakete ne (lock up, okay?).
are, kagi kaketa kke?
Wait, did I lock the door?
あれ、鍵かけたっけ？
are, kagi o kakemashita kke?
Hmm, did I lock the door?
あれ、鍵をかけましたっけ？
Unlocking is kagi o akeru. The locked state is kagi ga kakaru, nearly always heard as kagi kakatteru (it's locked); kagi shimatteru is just as common.
Same verb: cheen (door chain), rokku (lock)Learn alongside: kagi ga kakaru, mezamashi o kakeru, soujiki o kakeru (Stage 4)Main list: kakeru (Stage 4), kakaru (Stage 4)
kagi ga kakaru
polite kagi ga kakarimasu(a door) locks, gets locked (kakatteru = is locked)
鍵がかかる かぎがかかる 鍵がかかります
verbkakaru かかるhang, be put on; also take (time) and cost (money)typical 7% of kagi
trap 'It's locked' is a verb state, kagi ga kakatteru (kagi shimatteru is just as common). Not kagi ga kaketeru: with ga the verb is kakaru. kagi ga kakete aru, 'someone has locked it', is also fine.
Nearly always kagi kakatteru (it's locked) or kagi kakattenai (it's not locked). It describes the state, while kagi o kakeru is the act.
daijoubu, kagi kakatteru yo.
It's fine, it's locked.
大丈夫、鍵かかってるよ。
daijoubu desu, kagi ga kakatte imasu yo.
It's fine, it's locked.
大丈夫です、鍵がかかっていますよ。
The opposite state is kagi ga aiteru (it's unlocked).
Same verb: cheen (door chain), rokku (lock)Learn alongside: kagi o kakeru, mezamashi o kakeru, soujiki o kakeru (Stage 4)Main list: kakaru (Stage 4), kakeru (Stage 4)