hrad
[ˈɦrat]masculine
The Czech word for castle is hrad. Wiktionary also lists zámek.
Meaning: fortified building (noun)
Ways to say it
| Czech | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| hrad | [ˈɦrat] (narrow) | masculine |
| zámek | [ˈzaːmɛk] (narrow) | masculine |
The word hrad refers to a fortified building. Note that the word zámek is a homonym that can also mean a 'lock', such as a door lock.
Which one should you use?
Use zámek to refer to a non-fortified, more decorative or residential palace or chateau.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word hrad changes its form depending on the grammatical context. It changes to hradě when used after the preposition na (on/in) to indicate a location. It also changes to hradu in the genitive case, for example, when saying 'of the castle'.
Did you know?
- The word hrad shares an ancient root with the English word 'garden' and the English word 'yard', both stemming from the idea of an enclosed or guarded space.
- The Czech word zámek meaning 'castle' or 'chateau' is a semantic loan from the German word Schloss, which also means both 'castle' and 'lock'.
Examples in context
- Ten hrad je krásný.The castle is beautiful.This sentence describes the beauty of a hrad.Tatoeba #3592366 by nueby, translation #415540 by blay_paul
- Král žije na hradě.The king lives in the castle.This sentence describes a king living in a hrad.Tatoeba #10854518 by aldar, translation #10854400 by carlosalberto
- Tento hrad je hezký.This castle is nice.This sentence describes a castle as being nice using the form hrad.Tatoeba #9413048 by Ergulis, translation #9413003 by Nylez
- Hrad Pernštejn je významnou památkou české gotiky.Pernštejn Castle is a significant monument of Czech Gothic architecture.
- Vyrazil jsem na výlet k zámku Konopiště.I went on a trip to Konopiště Castle.
- Pojďme se projít okolo toho krásného zámku.Let's take a walk around that beautiful castle.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukáš and Lucie are visiting an old fortress.
- LukášPodívej se na ten starý hrad.Look at that old castle.
- LucieJe to skutečně impozantní stavba.It is a truly imposing building.
- LukášMůžeme vstoupit do toho hradu?Can we enter that castle?
- LucieAno, brána je otevřená.Yes, the gate is open.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “castle” translations and entries hrad, zámek, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hrad, zámek, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
