HomeGermanGlossary › tortoise

German vocabulary · Beginner

How do you say "tortoise" in German?

die Schildkröte

NounFeminine

In German, "tortoise" is die Schildkröte.

Listen to the pronunciation:

Free German learning game. No sign-up, play in browser. See all games

Pronunciation

Pronounced 'SHILT-krur-teh', with 'ö' sounding like the 'ur' in 'fur'.

Grammar notes

die Schildkröte is feminine. Plural: die Schildkröten.

Example sentence

Die alte Schildkröte bewegte sich sehr langsam.

The old tortoise moved very slowly.

Test your German knowledge in our free browser games.

How to remember die Schildkröte

It's built from Schild (shield) and Kröte (toad) — picture a toad wearing a shield-like shell.

Related words

Browse all German words in the glossary.

Questions about die Schildkröte

How do you say "tortoise" in German?

In German, "tortoise" is die Schildkröte. It is a noun.

Is die Schildkröte masculine, feminine, or neuter?

die Schildkröte is feminine. Plural: die Schildkröten.

How is die Schildkröte used in a sentence?

Use die Schildkröte as you would use the equivalent noun in English. For example: Die alte Schildkröte bewegte sich sehr langsam. (The old tortoise moved very slowly.).

Where can I practice German words for free?

You can play free German minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the German glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Tortoise" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the German language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation.

Noun Town language-learning game on PC, Mac and VR
The full experience

Noun Town on PC, Mac & VR

These browser games are just a taste. The full Noun Town is a bigger, deeper 3D world: explore a living town, talk to its characters and learn thousands of words in immersive VR, Mixed Reality, or on your computer. It's an award-winning game with 590+ reviews on Steam and 12 languages to learn.

See the full game ▶

Spot an error? Email us at contact@noun.town