коро́ль
korólʹmasculine
The English word 'king' can be translated into Russian as either коро́ль (korólʹ) or царь.
Meaning: a male of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of his nation (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| коро́ль | korólʹ | masculine | |
| царь | carʹ | [t͡sarʲ] (narrow) | masculine |
The term 'king' refers to a male member of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of a nation.
Which one should you use?
Use коро́ль specifically when referring to kings within a European context, such as the King of Spain. Use царь when referring to historical Russian rulers or when employing metaphors for the 'king' of animals or elements of nature.
How does it change in a sentence?
When the masculine noun царь is used as the direct object of a verb, it changes to the accusative form царя́.
How do you pronounce it?
korólʹ
Did you know?
- The Russian word царь is actually a linguistic relative of the English word 'Caesar', having traveled from Latin through Germanic languages into Slavic ones.
- In colloquial Russian, someone might be called a царь if they act with extreme arrogance or demand absolute obedience in a domestic setting.
- Historically, Russian rulers used царь to signal their independence and equality with the emperors of the East and West.
Examples in context
- Лев – царь леса.The lion is the king of the forest.This sentence uses царь to show the lion as the king of the forest.Tatoeba #9934383 by soweli_Elepanto, translation #7245974 by Sifaks
- Лев царь зверей.The lion is the king of beasts.This sentence uses царь to describe the lion as the king of beasts.Tatoeba #502447 by zhekka, translation #29839 by CK
- Орёл – царь небес.The eagle is the king of the skies.This sentence uses царь to describe the eagle as the king of the skies.Tatoeba #8570473 by marafon, translation #7816918 by AlanF_US
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “king” translations and entries царь, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries царь, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
