abschließen

Abschließen is a German verb with senses centered on bringing something to an end or sealing it. The core meanings are to close or lock a physical object (door, container) and to complete or finalize an action, agreement, or process (a contract, a study, a project). It can also be used figuratively to mean ending discussions or to close oneself off from others.

In usage, abschließen is transitive and forms with a separable prefix in the present tense: Ich schließe die Tür ab. With agreements or contracts you say Wir schließen einen Vertrag ab. In the perfect tense the prefix is integrated into the participle, often with haben: Der Vertrag ist abgeschlossen; ich habe den Vertrag abgeschlossen. The simple past is formed as ich schloss ab, wir schlossen ab. The verb governs direct objects in the accusative: einen Vertrag, eine Tür, ein Studium, ein Gespräch, etc.

Common collocations include: einen Vertrag abschließen (to conclude a contract), eine Tür abschließen (to lock a door), ein Studium abschließen (to complete one’s studies), ein Gespräch abschließen (to bring a conversation to a close). Figuratively, sich abschließen can mean to close oneself off from others or from the outside world.

Etymology and related terms: the prefix ab- conveys separation or completion, and Abschließen contrasts with the noun Abschluss, which denotes completion or a degree but is used differently. See also Abschluss (noun).