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French Phrase

Les portes se ferment.

/le pɔʁt sə fɛʁm/
Meaning"The doors close."
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Meaning

Literally ‘The doors close.’ It describes a situation where doors are in the process of closing, either automatically (e.g., in a train station) or as a result of someone’s action.

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When to use

Use this sentence when you want to inform someone that doors are closing, warn them to hurry, or describe the operation of automatic doors in public places.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Lesportesseferment

1

Definite article (Les)

‘Les’ is the plural definite article used before a plural noun, here ‘portes’ (doors).

2

Noun (portes)

‘Portes’ is a feminine plural noun meaning ‘doors’.

3

Reflexive pronoun (se)

‘Se’ marks the verb as reflexive; the doors are performing the action on themselves (they close themselves).

4

Present tense, 3rd person plural (ferment)

‘Ferment’ is the present‑tense form of the verb ‘fermer’ for ‘ils/elles’, agreeing with the plural subject ‘les portes’.

5

Verb construction (se + infinitive)

In the present tense, reflexive verbs are conjugated as ‘se + verb stem + ending’, e.g., se fermer → se ferment.

🗨In Conversation

A

Les portes se ferment dans cinq minutes.

The doors will close in five minutes.

Merci, je me dépêche.

Thanks, I’ll hurry.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Les portes se ferme.

    Verb must agree with the plural subject; ‘ferme’ is singular.

  • Les portes ferment.

    Missing the reflexive pronoun ‘se’; without it the sentence means ‘someone closes the doors’.

  • Les portes se ferme.

    Incorrect verb ending for a plural subject; ‘se ferme’ is singular.

↔Alternatives

  • Les portes se ferment automatiquement.

    The doors close automatically.

  • Les portes se ferment à 22 h.

    The doors close at 10 p.m.

  • Les portes se ferment bientôt.

    The doors are about to close.

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Cultural Tip

In France, many public buildings (metro stations, museums, supermarkets) have automatic sliding doors that ‘se ferment’ when no one is passing through. Native speakers often use the reflexive form ‘se fermer’ to describe this self‑acting process, rather than the simple transitive ‘fermer’ which would imply an external agent (e.g., ‘Quelqu’un ferme les portes’).