Spanish word

tortuga

Pronunciation

IPA/toɾˈtuɣa/

Meaning

  • feminine nounturtle

Example

¿Has visto alguna vez una tortuga?

Have you ever seen a turtle?

Illustration for tortuga (turtle)

More examples

En la playa vimos una tortuga marina salir del agua.

On the beach we saw a sea turtle come out of the water.

Core concept

Shelled reptile with a hard protective shell that lives on land or in water.

Common phrases

  • tortuga marina

    sea turtle

  • tortuga terrestre

    tortoise

  • caparazón de tortuga

    turtle shell

Similar words

tortuga terrestre: Land-dwelling turtle that walks on sturdy legs and spends most of its time out of water.
tortuga marina: Ocean-dwelling turtle with flipper-like limbs and a shell shaped for efficient swimming.
tortuga de agua dulce: Turtle that lives in freshwater habitats such as lakes and streams, often with webbed feet.

Definition in Spanish

Se usa para los reptiles provistos de un caparazón protector; cuando hace falta precisión se especifica 'tortuga marina' o 'tortuga terrestre'.

Word origin

From Vulgar Latin *tortuca, ultimately from Latin tortus 'twisted' (from torquēre 'to twist'), a formation that yielded the Romance words for turtle.

Usage tips

  • The simile lento como una tortuga is common and is used to describe someone very slow in a gentle or affectionate way.

Other meanings

  • tortoisenoun

Opposites

Related words

  • tortugueroturtle-relatedadjective
  • tortuguitalittle turtlenoun

Word lists with this word