Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): La biblioteca central está cerrada hoy.

Spanish has two verbs for “to be”: ser and estar. We choose está (from estar) because we’re describing a temporary state or condition of the library (it’s closed today), not an inherent or permanent characteristic. If you said es cerrada, it would sound like “it is closed” as a defining trait, which isn’t natural here.

What role does cerrada play in está cerrada?

Cerrada is the past participle of cerrar used as an adjective. In está cerrada, it describes the current state (“closed”) of the library, rather than functioning as a full verb phrase like “it closes.”

Why is cerrada in the feminine form?

Adjectives in Spanish must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Since biblioteca is feminine singular, cerrada also takes the feminine singular ending -a.

Why does the adjective central come after biblioteca instead of before?

Most descriptive adjectives follow the noun in Spanish. Central is a descriptive adjective indicating location or function (“main” or “central”), so it naturally comes after biblioteca. Placing it before—la central biblioteca—would sound awkward or overly poetic.

Is the definite article la necessary before biblioteca central?

Yes. In Spanish, singular common nouns generally require a definite or indefinite article. Here we’re referring to “the central library,” so la is mandatory.

Could we move hoy to a different position in the sentence?

Absolutely. Spanish adverbs of time like hoy are flexible. You could say:
• Hoy la biblioteca central está cerrada.
• La biblioteca central está cerrada hoy.
Both mean the same, though placing hoy at the start gives slightly more emphasis on today.

Can we omit hoy if the context is clear?

Yes. If everyone already knows you’re talking about today, you could simply say La biblioteca central está cerrada. Adding hoy only specifies that the closure applies today.

Why not use the infinitive cerrar (“to close”) or the reflexive cerrarse?

• The infinitive cerrar can’t stand alone as “is closed.”
• Cerrarse (reflexive) would mean “to close itself” or “to shut,” which describes the action of closing rather than the library’s current state. Using está cerrada correctly conveys “is currently closed.”