How to Say "Castle" in Mandarin

城堡

chéngbǎo

The Mandarin word for castle is 城堡 (chéngbǎo).

城堡 refers to a large, often European-style castle.

Meaning: fortified building (noun)

Which one should you use?

While 城堡 refers to a large, often European-style castle, the word 堡垒 is used for a more functional military fortress or stronghold.

chéngbǎo

The word 城堡 is frequently used in translated fantasy literature to evoke a 'fairytale' atmosphere. In native classical Chinese texts, you would rarely find this specific word, as the concept of a standalone stone castle was foreign.
The character 堡 contains the 'earth' radical 土 on the left. This reflects the historical reality that most Chinese fortifications were built from packed soil and clay instead of carved stone.
Chinese architecture historically focused on the 宫殿 'palace' rather than the 城堡 'castle'. While European castles were built for defense, Chinese imperial structures emphasized cosmic alignment and symmetry over military fortification.

这个城堡好美。
The castle is beautiful.
This sentence uses 城堡 to describe the beauty of a castle.
Tatoeba #395571 by GlossaMatik, translation #415540 by blay_paul
我和妹妹去了城堡。
My sister and I went to the castle.
This sentence uses 城堡 to describe traveling to a castle.
Tatoeba #4099643 by maple, translation #4099434 by CK
這個城堡也有一個鬼。
This castle also has a ghost.
This sentence uses 城堡 to mention a ghost in a castle.
Tatoeba #5694116 by xjjAstrus, translation #7837700 by sharris123
我们计划明天去参观那座古堡。
We plan to visit that ancient castle tomorrow.
这座城堡有着悠久的历史和浓厚的文化底蕴。
This castle has a long history and a rich cultural heritage.
17 more sentences on Tatoeba

Xinyi and Junjie are looking at a picture in a travel book.

欣怡 Xinyi

你看，那座城堡很漂亮。
Nǐ kàn, nà zuò chéngbǎo hěn piàoliang.
Look, that castle is beautiful.
俊杰 Junjie

是的，它看起来很壮观。
Shì de, tā kàn qǐlái hěn zhuàngguān.
Yes, it looks magnificent.
欣怡 Xinyi

你想去那里旅游吗？
Nǐ xiǎng qù nàlǐ lǚyóu ma?
Do you want to travel there?
俊杰 Junjie

我想去，我们明年去吧。
Wǒ xiǎng qù, wǒmen míngnián qù ba.
I want to go, let's go next year.

Sources

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