kale
/kɑˈle/
The English word 'castle' is kale in Turkish. Wiktionary also lists saray and kermen.
Meaning: fortified building (noun)
Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| kale | /kɑˈle/ |
| saray | /saɾaj/ (from spelling rules) |
| kermen | /ceɾmen/ (from spelling rules) |
The most common and standard word for a castle or a fortified military structure is kale. In the specific context of the game of chess, the verb 'to castle' is translated as rok atmak.
Which one should you use?
While kale is the standard term for a fortified military structure, saray refers to a palace or a grand residence. Kermen is an older, more literary or regional term for a castle or fortress compared to the common kale.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain areas, particularly along the coasts, kule is used to refer to a tower or a fortress-like structure.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/kɑˈle/. The [c] sound in 'core' represents the first sound.
Did you know?
- In Turkish football slang, the word for 'goal' is gol, but the 'goal area' or 'goalmouth' is called kale, meaning 'castle'.
- The word saray was borrowed from Persian and refers to a palace, but it also gave English the word 'seraglio' through Italian and French.
- The Turkish word kale is used in the phrase kale gibi, which describes a person who is exceptionally strong, sturdy and reliable.
Examples in context
- Bu bir kale mi?Is that a castle?This sentence is useful for asking if a building is a kale.Tatoeba #6360190 by duran, translation #6358163 by CK
- O eski bir kale.That is an old castle.This sentence is useful for describing something as an old kale.Tatoeba #1269620 by duran, translation #67073 by CK
- Kale bugün açık mı?Is the castle open today?This sentence is useful for asking if a kale is open today.Tatoeba #3275609 by duran, translation #3256800 by CK
- Bu kale ne kadar güzel!This castle is so beautiful!
- İşte kumdan bir kale yaptım!Look, I made a sandcastle!
- 130 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mehmet and Selin are visiting a historical site.
- MehmetŞu uzaklardaki kale mi?Is that the castle in the distance?
- SelinEvet, o çok eski bir kale.Yes, it is a very old castle.
- MehmetSelin, oraya kadar yürüyebilir miyiz?Selin, can we walk all the way there?
- SelinBence oraya gitmeliyiz.I think we should go there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “castle” translations and entries kale, saray, kermen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
