Sulkeutua

Sulkeutua is a Finnish intransitive verb meaning to become closed or to close by itself. It describes physical closures—doors, lids, openings—and can also refer to situations where access or contact ends, such as a market closing for the day or a window of opportunity disappearing.

The verb is formed from sulkea, meaning “to close,” with the intransitive suffix -utua, which marks a change of state. As an intransitive verb, the subject experiences the closure rather than performing it on another object. Examples include ovi sulkeutui (the door closed) and ovi sulkeutuu itsestään (the door closes by itself).

In addition to physical closures, sulkeutua is used metaphorically for opportunities or openings that become inaccessible. Common phrases include mahdollisuus sulkeutuu (the opportunity closes) and keskusta sulkeutuu (the center closes), depending on context. The verb follows standard Finnish conjugation for -utua verbs: present tense sulkeudun, sulkeudut, sulkeutuu, sulkeudumme, sulkeudutte, sulkeutuvat; past tense sulkeutui, sulkeutuivat. The form can appear in various tenses and moods like other Finnish verbs.