Chiudo la porta.

I close the door.

Breakdown of Chiudo la porta.

• io: I
• chiudere: to close
• la porta: the door

Questions & Answers about Chiudo la porta.

Why do we use chiudo instead of chiudere?

In Italian, chiudere is the infinitive form ("to close"). To say "I close," we use the io form of the present tense, which is chiudo. This conjugation corresponds to a specific grammatical person and tense, just like English changes "to close" into "I close."

Is there a difference between saying Chiudo la porta and Sto chiudendo la porta?

Yes. Chiudo la porta states a simple present action ("I close the door"), while Sto chiudendo la porta uses the present continuous and emphasizes that you are in the process of closing the door at this very moment.

Why do we use la before porta?

Italian typically requires a definite article (il, la, i, le, etc.) before nouns, whereas in English we often omit "the" if we're speaking in general terms. In this specific sentence, "the door" is identified as a specific object, so la is used in Italian.

Can we omit la and just say Chiudo porta?

No, that would sound unnatural and incorrect in standard Italian. Nouns almost always need an article unless specific grammatical structures allow for its omission (like certain idiomatic expressions or titles).

Could we also say Ho chiuso la porta?

Yes, Ho chiuso la porta is the past tense ("I have closed the door / I closed the door"). If you want to describe a completed action in the past, you’d use this form. If you are describing something you do right now or generally do, then Chiudo la porta is appropriate.