How do you say "turtle" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "turtle" is カメ (kame). It is a noun pronounced "kah-meh".

Pronunciation

カメ is written in katakana. Romanised as kame, it sounds roughly like "kah-meh" to an English ear.

Example sentence

カメは長生きです。

Kame wa nagaiki desu.

Turtles live long.

Usage notes

Reptile with hard shell. Symbol of longevity.

Related words

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Questions about カメ

How do you pronounce カメ?

カメ is romanised as kame. Say it roughly like "kah-meh" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is カメ formal or casual?

カメ is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is カメ written in Japanese?

カメ is written using katakana. Katakana is typically used for words of foreign origin or to give emphasis.

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