król
/ˈkrul/masculine, person
The Polish word for king is król.
The word król refers to a male member of a royal family who serves as the supreme ruler of a nation.
Meaning: a male of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of his nation (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the word changes depending on its role in a sentence. The base form is król, but it changes to króla when used in the genitive or accusative cases, such as when expressing a direct object or following the preposition do (to). It changes to królem in the instrumental case, which is used to express being something 'as a king' or being 'with a king'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkrul/
Did you know?
- Although it looks like it might be related to the English 'king', the Polish król actually shares its distant ancestry with the Germanic word 'churl' or 'vassal'.
- In Polish, the word król is used in the phrase król życia, which literally means 'king of life' and refers to a playboy or a high-living socialite.
- In Polish culture, referring to someone as król in a sarcastic tone can be a way to mock their arrogance or perceived self-importance.
Examples in context
- Tom żyje jak król.Tom lives like a king.This sentence is useful for showing how to use król in a comparison regarding lifestyle.Tatoeba #10631709 by polski_ren, translation #2821619 by CK
- Dostał imię po królu.He was named after the king.This sentence demonstrates the use of the word when discussing being named after someone.Tatoeba #10631712 by polski_ren, translation #294161 by CK
- Był więcej niż królem.He was more than a king.This sentence shows how to use the instrumental form królem to express being more than a certain role.Tatoeba #10631713 by polski_ren, translation #294167 by jakov
- 42 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Tomasz and Katarzyna are discussing a historical movie.
- TomaszTen król był bardzo mądry.This king was very wise.
- KatarzynaTak, bardzo lubię ten film.Yes, I really like this movie.
- TomaszCzy król miał dzieci?Did the king have children?
- KatarzynaTak, miał syna i córkę.Yes, he had a son and a daughter.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “king” translations and entries król, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries król, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
