кале́
kaléneuter
In Russian, kale is called кале́ (kalé). Wiktionary also lists листова́я капу́ста (listovája kapústa) and грюнко́ль (grjunkólʹ).
Meaning: edible plant: Brassica oleracea acephala (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| кале́ | kalé | neuter |
| листова́я капу́ста | listovája kapústa | feminine |
| грюнко́ль | grjunkólʹ | masculine |
| браунко́ль | braunkólʹ | masculine |
The term refers to the edible plant *Brassica oleracea acephala*.
What does it mean word for word?
The descriptive term листова́я капу́ста breaks down literally to mean 'leafy cabbage'.
Which one should you use?
кале́ is a direct loanword from English, whereas листова́я капу́ста is a more traditional and descriptive Russian term. For specific varieties, грюнко́ль is used to refer specifically to curly kale, a term derived from the German *Grünkohl*.
How does it change in a sentence?
кале́ is a neuter noun, листова́я капу́ста is a feminine noun, грюнко́ль is a masculine noun and браунко́ль is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
kalé
Did you know?
- The word капу́ста also serves as a common Russian slang term for 'money', making a phrase about 'buying cabbage' potentially ambiguous in a street setting.
- Depending on the region, an older Russian person may not recognize the word кале́ at all, as it only entered common usage recently via English.
- If you ask for 'капу́ста' in a Russian market without specifying 'листова́я', the vendor will almost certainly give you a standard-sized headed cabbage instead of kale.
Examples in context
- Я бы хотел(а) заказать блюдо с капустой калеI would like to order a dish with kale
- Я использую капусту кале для своего салатаI use kale for my salad
Sources
- Wiktionary, “kale” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
