城壁 Castle Wall

Meaning

Primary

Castle Wall

Alternative

Rampart

Word Type

noun

Explanation

A castle wall is exactly what it sounds like: a castle wall. This word refers to the thick, protective walls built around castles and fortresses, and sometimes around entire castle towns too.

Reading

じょうへき

Explanation

This is a jukugo word that uses the on'yomi readings of the kanji. You haven't learned this reading yet for 壁, so here's a mnemonic to help you:

The gate in the castle wall is locked, so you fashion a key out of hay — a hay key (へき). You take this hay key and jam it into the lock, turning furiously until you feel a click… Miraculously, the gate opens. You make your way through the castle wall, still clutching your hay key.

Context

Common Word Combinations

• 城壁を〜

  城壁を持つ

  to have castle walls

  城壁を築く

  to build castle walls

  城壁を越える

  to get over the castle wall

• 城壁に〜

  城壁に囲まれる

  to be surrounded by castle walls

  城壁に登る

  to climb the castle wall

  城壁に守られる

  to be protected by castle walls

• 城壁の〜

  城壁の外

  outside the castle walls

  城壁の内側

  inside the castle walls

  城壁の跡

  the remains of the castle walls

Context Sentences

この城壁は高さ何メートルですか？

How high are these castle walls?

ヨーロッパには、城壁に囲まれた城下町がたくさんありますよね。

There are lots of walled castle towns in Europe, aren't there?

家を建てる予定の土地から、古い城壁が見つかったんです。

Old castle walls were found on the land where we were planning to build a house.

Kanji Composition

1. 城

   しろ Castle
2. 壁

   かべ Wall