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How to Say "castle" in Spanish

English → Spanish

castillo

/kas-TEE-yo//kasˈtiʝo/

nounA1historical, fortified building
Use 'castillo' for a general historical, fortified building, often a royal residence, that most people envision when they think of a castle.
A large, grey stone castle with high crenellated walls and several cylindrical towers, standing prominently on a green hill under a bright sky.

Examples

El viejo castillo se alza sobre la colina.

The old castle stands on the hill.

Los niños construyeron un castillo de arena en la playa.

The children built a sandcastle on the beach.

Necesitaron meses para restaurar el castillo medieval.

They needed months to restore the medieval castle.

Masculine Gender Rule

Even though many Spanish nouns ending in '-o' are masculine, remember that 'castillo' is always masculine, so use 'el' (the) or 'un' (a) with it.

fortaleza

for-tah-LEH-sah/foɾtaˈleθa/

nounA2historic building
Use 'fortaleza' when the primary emphasis is on the building's function as a military defense or stronghold, especially against attacks.
A massive, grey stone fortress with high defensive walls and several tall towers, situated prominently on a grassy hill.

Examples

Visitamos la antigua fortaleza que protegía la ciudad del ataque pirata.

We visited the old fortress that protected the city from the pirate attack.

La fortaleza tiene muros de piedra de tres metros de grosor.

The stronghold has stone walls three meters thick.

Always Feminine

Even though this word ends in '-a', it is a feminine noun, so you always use 'la' before it: 'la fortaleza'.

Castillo vs. Fortaleza

Learners often use 'castillo' for any old, grand building, even if its main historical role was purely defensive. Remember that 'fortaleza' specifically highlights the military aspect of protection and defense.

Related Translations

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