As the US federal government gradually came back to life on Thursday after a 16-day shutdown, we thought it would be useful to explain to our readers how you say "shutdown" or "we are closed" in Italian.
While we realize the chances of you having to say "we are closed" while visiting Italy are quite slim, understanding if Italian businesses and/or people are telling you they are closed is useful.
"We are closed" literary translates in Siamo Chiusi and its opposite is Siamo Aperti, "We are open".
However, when putting a sing up to let people know they are shut, Italians simply write: Chiuso.
If a shop, restaurant or business is closed because the owners went on holidays, you will probably find a sign saying: Chiuso per Ferie.
A museum, a palace, an art gallery could also be closed because of refurbishments or restoration work and put up a message saying: Chiuso per Restauro.
In both cases, it is quite common to find a starting date on the sign saying Dal:, which means "From:", and the last day introduced by Al: meaning "To:".
Museums, parks, restaurants and shops usually have a day of the week when they are closed, this is their Giorno di Chiusura, usually followed by Lunedì (Monday), Martedì (Tuesday), Mercoledì (Wednesday), Giovedì (Thursday), Venerdì (Friday), Sabato (Saturday), Domenica (Sunday). When they are open, they indicate the time with Orario di Apertura, literary "Opening Time".
Sometimes you can also find Chiuso per Lutto, this means Closed Due to Bereavement.
And with Italy's very tumultuous political life, it is fairly common to find a sing saying "Chiuso per Sciopero", closed because of a strike, in this case it is highly unlikely that any specific date would be provided. But if you are lucky, you can find a Torno Subito sign which reassures you they will be "Back soon".
