Italian Phrase
Chiudi a chiave tutte le porte e le finestre.
Meaning
A direct command telling someone to lock every door and every window. It emphasizes security, not just closing them, by specifying the use of a key.
When to use
Use this sentence when you are about to leave the house, go to bed, or need to secure a property before an absence. It is common in households, apartments, and even small businesses.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Chiudiachiavetutteleporteelefinestre
Imperative (tu) of chiudere
‘Chiudi’ is the second‑person singular imperative of the verb ‘chiudere’ (to close/lock).
Prepositional phrase ‘a chiave’
‘a chiave’ literally means ‘with a key’; it turns the verb into ‘lock’ rather than just ‘close’.
Agreement of ‘tutte le’
‘tutte’ agrees in gender and number with the feminine plural nouns ‘porte’ and ‘finestre’.
Conjunction ‘e’
The conjunction ‘e’ links two noun phrases of the same structure, so the article ‘le’ is repeated before each noun.
🗨In Conversation
Chiudi a chiave tutte le porte e le finestre, per favore.
Lock all the doors and windows, please.
Certo, lo faccio subito.
Sure, I’ll do it right away.
✕Common Mistakes
Chiudi a chiave tutte i porte e le finestre.
‘Porte’ is feminine plural, so the article must be ‘le’, not ‘i’.
Chiudi a chiave tutta le porte e le finestre.
‘Tutte’ must agree with the plural nouns; ‘tutta’ is singular.
Chiudi a chiave tutte le porte e le finestre, per favore?
A command should end with a period or an exclamation mark; a question mark changes the tone to a request.
↔Alternatives
Metti a chiave tutte le porte e le finestre.
Put a key on all the doors and windows.
Blocca tutte le porte e le finestre.
Block all the doors and windows.
Chiudi a chiave porte e finestre.
Lock doors and windows.
Cultural Tip
In Italy many apartments have a single key that locks both the front door and the internal door to the hallway. When you hear ‘chiudi a chiave’, Italians usually mean the whole entry system, not just the outer door. In the south, it’s also common to lock windows at night to keep out insects and protect against break‑ins.