Theres a semantic differentiation that might help you select the appropriate one depending on the context if used in general:

• "vorbei sein" subtly hints on a general continuation after the point of interest has been passed
• "Schluss sein" means you've reached the end, which can connotate the lack of anything relevant continuing on after

A tv programm for example would usually be only vorbei Die Sendung ist vorbei., because another programm would follow.

Well… back in the days however they would not have tv programms running 24/7, leading to an actual Sendeschluss. The last programm might correctly announce "Nun ist Schluss."

No difference

Yet, it is a noun! http://dictionnaire.reverso.net/allemand-anglais/Schluss

I'm not german so I'm only suggesting that it might be something like "it's an ending" and in german we don't always have to use an pronun. Like "Er ist Student" for "he's a student".

hahah I was thinking the same and what about Schlüssel and Schüssel

Also Schloss can mean not only a castle but also a lock

As f.formica... the use of a word in context can mean something different from the plain meaning of the word. "It is ending" doesn't mean anything in English probably, but if you think a bit, it can be said as "It is over".

Studying languages requires a big flexibility.

You can report misleading hints; but keep in mind that they're still hints, they're not there to answer your question for you.

The hints are general hints, also helpful for Immersion. Think of them as a dictionary you can peek at, not a direct hint for the current sentence. (I think the word 'hint' shouldn't be used at all, as most people, including myself, initially have a frustration like yours!)

If you are talking about a store or something, then you could say "Es ist geschlossen"

(P.S. not native speaker)

What does it mean?

http://dictionnaire.reverso.net/allemand-anglais/Schluss http://dictionnaire.reverso.net/allemand-anglais/Ende http://context.reverso.net/traduction/allemand-anglais/Schluss http://context.reverso.net/traduction/allemand-anglais/Ende

The biggest difference is that one would not say "Es ist Schloss". One could, however, say, "Es ist ein Schloss" oder "Das ist das Schloss." An article is needed with Schloss (as well as a capital "S", because it is a noun).

I think you may have spelled something wrong here. Das Schloss means lock (or castle) depending on the context of the sentence. z.B. "hinter Schloss und Riegel." Der Schluss means to conclude something or end something.

Nein.

A different example did use Schluss in the context of a relationship being over.

Es hat geendet?

Good questions:

http://dictionary.reverso.net/german-english/fertig

http://dictionary.reverso.net/german-english/schluss

http://dictionary.reverso.net/german-english/zu%20Ende

http://dictionnaire.reverso.net/allemand-anglais/vorbei

"Schluss" is not the verb "ending", but the noun "ending" or "end" http://dictionnaire.reverso.net/allemand-anglais/Schluss

I have the same doubt!

Es schließt.

http://dictionnaire.reverso.net/allemand-anglais/schlie%c3%9ft

It is the difference between a noun and a verb.

For one word, a dictionnary is your best friend ;) http://en.pons.com/translate?q=Anschluss

Austrian Anschluss

Correct. That is why it is capitalized.

Does it mean the same? Sure. Mostly.

But notice that Schluss Is capitalized. That means it is a noun, whereas "closed" is an adjective (derived from the past tense of "to close"). So the translation that is most faithful is "It is at a conclusion," (or "It is at at an end").

See this entry for Schluss.

Because we capitalize German nouns based on whether the German word is a noun, not whether the English translation (i.e., approximation) is a noun. Schluss is absolutely a noun. (See this.)

Interestingly enough, the Wiktionary shows that "over" can also be a noun in some contexts.

"It is done" seems to me to be more akin to "it is ready" or "finished" or "completed" (which would be "es ist fertig" oder "erledigt"). There is, to a degree, the sense of being "over", but not entirely; thus the phrase "over and done" where both words have their own subtle distinctions.

That is a grammatically correct English sentence, but not a particularly good translation of the German sentence "Es ist Schluss."

The English sentence you suggest is in the present, continuous tense: whatever "it" is, is currently in the process of closing. In the German sentence, however, "it" is already closed, finished, done, over with, complete, etc.