Spanish Phrase
Cierra todas las puertas y ventanas con llave.
Meaning
The sentence is a direct command telling someone to lock every door and window. It emphasizes complete security, often before leaving a house, office, or any place that needs to be protected.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to make sure a space is fully secured – for example, before going on vacation, at night, or when handing over a property to someone else.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Cierratodaslaspuertasyventanasconllave
Imperative (tú) of cerrar
Cierra is the informal second‑person singular imperative of the verb cerrar ‘to close/lock’. It drops the -ar ending and adds -a.
Adjective agreement
todas agrees in gender (feminine) and number (plural) with the nouns puertas and ventanas.
Definite article
las is the feminine plural article that matches puertas and ventanas.
Con + noun
The preposition con introduces the means by which something is done; con llave means ‘with a key’ (i.e., locked).
Coordinated nouns
puertas y ventanas are linked by y, so the adjective and article apply to both nouns.
🗨In Conversation
¿Ya terminaste de preparar la casa para el viaje?
Did you finish getting the house ready for the trip?
Sí, ya cerré todas las puertas y ventanas con llave.
Yes, I’ve already locked all the doors and windows.
✕Common Mistakes
Cierra todas los puertas y ventanas con llave.
The article must agree in gender with puertas (feminine). Use las, not los.
Cierra todas las puertas y ventana con llave.
Both nouns are plural; keep ventana in plural form.
Cierra todo las puertas y ventanas con llave.
Todo is singular and does not agree with the plural nouns.
↔Alternatives
Asegura todas las puertas y ventanas con candado.
Secure all the doors and windows with a padlock.
Bloquea todas las puertas y ventanas.
Block all the doors and windows.
Cierra y tranca todas las puertas y ventanas.
Close and bolt all the doors and windows.
Cultural Tip
In most Spanish‑speaking countries it is customary to lock doors and windows at night or when leaving the house for an extended period. The phrase con llave is the standard way to express that something is locked with a key, while con candado is used when a padlock is involved, especially for windows or garden gates. In some regions, people also say ‘trancar’ (to bolt) instead of ‘cerrar’ for extra security.