Turtle

The Word “Turtle”: Meaning, Usage, and Translations Across 30 Languages

Meaning of “Turtle”

A turtle is a reptile known for its distinctive, hard shell that provides protection from predators. Turtles belong to the order Testudines, which includes both aquatic species (like sea turtles) and terrestrial species (such as tortoises). Turtles are found in various environments, from oceans and rivers to forests and deserts. Their unique shells are made of bone and cartilage and are a defining characteristic of their species.

In addition to the biological definition, the word “turtle” can also be used metaphorically to describe someone who moves slowly or someone who withdraws into a shell, often to avoid confrontation or stress.


Usage of “Turtle” in Different Contexts

  1. Biological Context:
    “The turtle swam gracefully in the ocean, its shell glistening in the sunlight.”
  2. Metaphorical Usage:
    “He tends to turtle when faced with difficult situations, avoiding confrontation.”
  3. Environmental Context:
    “The sea turtles are facing the threat of extinction due to plastic pollution in the oceans.”
  4. Cultural Reference:
    “In many cultures, the turtle is seen as a symbol of wisdom and longevity.”
  5. As a Pet:
    “She decided to adopt a small turtle as a pet for her aquarium.”

Translations of “Turtle” in 30 Languages

The word “turtle” is translated differently across various languages, but the fundamental concept of a shelled reptile is widely understood. Below are translations of “turtle” in 30 languages, along with example sentences showing how the word is used.

Language Translation Example Sentence
English Turtle “The turtle slowly crawled across the beach.”
Spanish Tortuga “La tortuga nada en el mar.” (The turtle swims in the sea.)
French Tortue “La tortue a un carapace dure.” (The turtle has a hard shell.)
German Schildkröte “Die Schildkröte bewegt sich langsam.” (The turtle moves slowly.)
Italian Tartaruga “La tartaruga vive in acqua.” (The turtle lives in water.)
Portuguese Tartaruga “A tartaruga está nadando no oceano.” (The turtle is swimming in the ocean.)
Russian Черепаха (Cherepakha) “Это большая черепаха.” (This is a large turtle.)
Chinese 乌龟 (Wūguī) “这只乌龟生活在水中。” (This turtle lives in the water.)
Japanese カメ (Kame) “そのカメは海で泳いでいます。” (The turtle is swimming in the sea.)
Korean 거북이 (Geobugi) 거북이는 매우 느리게 움직입니다.” (The turtle moves very slowly.)
Hindi कछुआ (Kachhua) “वह कछुआ धीरे-धीरे चल रहा है।” (The turtle is walking slowly.)
Bengali কচ্ছপ (Kacchap) কচ্ছপ জলে সাঁতার কাটছে।” (The turtle is swimming in the water.)
Turkish Kaplumbağa “Bir kaplumbağa çok yavaş hareket eder.” (A turtle moves very slowly.)
Dutch Schildpad “Het schildpad leeft zowel op land als in het water.” (The turtle lives both on land and in water.)
Swedish Sköldpadda “Den sköldpadda simmar i vattnet.” (The turtle swims in the water.)
Norwegian Skilpadde “En skilpadde kan leve i flere tiår.” (A turtle can live for several decades.)
Greek Χελώνα (Chelóna) “Η χελώνα περπατά αργά.” (The turtle walks slowly.)
Polish Żółw “Widziałem żółwia na plaży.” (I saw a turtle on the beach.)
Czech Želva “Ta želva je velmi stará.” (This turtle is very old.)
Finnish Kilpikonna “Kylmässä vedessä kilpikonna voi jäädä eloon.” (In cold water, the turtle can survive.)
Hungarian Teknős “A teknős a vízben él.” (The turtle lives in the water.)
Hebrew צב (Tzav) “הצב צועד לאט.” (The turtle walks slowly.)
Thai เต่า (Tào) เต่า เดินช้า” (The turtle walks slowly.)
Indonesian Kura-kura “Saya melihat kura-kura di taman.” (I saw a turtle in the garden.)
Malay Penyu “Penyu itu berenang di laut.” (The turtle swims in the sea.)
Vietnamese Rùa “Con rùa di chuyển rất chậm.” (The turtle moves very slowly.)
Ukrainian Черепаха (Cherepakha) “Ця черепаха повільно повзає.” (This turtle crawls slowly.)
Romanian Țestoasă “Am văzut o țestoasă pe plajă.” (I saw a turtle on the beach.)
Swahili Kasa “Kasa inatembea polepole.” (The turtle moves slowly.)
Persian لاک‌پشت (Lākposht) “این لاک‌پشت به آهستگی حرکت می‌کند.” (This turtle moves slowly.)
Malayalam കച്ചവടം (Kachavada) “ഈ കച്ചവടം കടലിൽ നീന്തുന്നു.” (This turtle is swimming in the sea.)
Tamil மாளிகை (Māḷikai) “இந்த மாளிகை தங்கியுள்ள இடத்தில் பின்பு விடுவோம்.” (This turtle will be released after a while.)
Arabic سلحفاة (Sulḥafāh) “السلحفاة تتحرك ببطء.” (The turtle moves slowly.)

The word “turtle” has a wide range of meanings, from describing a slow-moving creature to symbolizing patience and wisdom in various cultures. While it is used in biological, metaphorical, and even cultural contexts, the core idea of a turtle as a shelled, slow-moving reptile remains consistent across languages. Whether in reference to an animal in the wild or as a symbol in literature or art, the turtle plays an important role in both nature and human culture.

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