How to say "Close" in Japanese

When translating "close" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between 閉まる and 閉じる. In Japanese, 閉まる (しまる (shimaru)) is typically associated with "to close (intransitive)" (Syllabus Level: N4) and represents Intransitive verb. Used when something closes by itself or is closed by an unspecified agent. For transitive 'to close. On the other hand, 閉じる (とじる (tojiru)) maps to "to close (transitive); to shut" (Syllabus Level: N4) and represents 本や目、傘などを閉める際に使います。ドアや窓には「閉める」を使うことが多いですが、お店を閉めるなどの場合にも使われます。. A literal translation of "close" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!