krále

krále is a Czech word that translates to "king" in English. It is a masculine noun and is used in various contexts, including historical references, fairy tales, and metaphorical descriptions. The word derives from the Proto-Slavic *korľь, which itself is believed to have come from the Germanic *kuningaz, meaning "king" or "ruler." The grammatical declension of krále varies depending on its role in a sentence, with different forms used for singular and plural, as well as for different grammatical cases. For example, the genitive singular form is also krále, while the accusative singular is krále, and the vocative singular is králi. In the plural, the nominative form is králové.

The concept of a král has been significant throughout Czech history, with figures like King Wenceslas I and King Wenceslas IV being prominent rulers. The term is also widely used in the Czech version of chess, where the piece representing the king is called the král. In everyday language, král can sometimes be used to describe someone who is exceptionally skilled or dominant in a particular field, akin to the English use of "king" in phrases like "king of the mountain." The feminine equivalent of král is královna, meaning "queen." The word krále, and its related forms, remain an integral part of the Czech lexicon, reflecting a rich cultural and historical heritage.