Home › Korean › Glossary › tortoise
Korean vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "tortoise" in Korean?
거북이
geobugi
In Korean, "tortoise" is 거북이 (geobugi).
Listen to the pronunciation:
Free Korean learning game. No sign-up, play in browser. See all games
Pronunciation
Break "geobugi" into its syllables and read them at a steady pace, keeping the vowels short until the last one, which trails off softly.
Writing and usage
거북이 is written using hangul. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.
Example sentence
늙은 거북이는 매우 천천히 움직였다.
neulgeun geobugineun maeu cheoncheonhi umjigyeotda.
The old tortoise moved very slowly.
Test your Korean knowledge in our free browser games.
How to remember 거북이
Link the sound of "geobugi" to any English word it faintly echoes, then picture a tortoise standing next to it.
Related words
- firefly 반딧불이 banditburi
- ladybug 무당벌레 mudangbeolre
- grasshopper 메뚜기 mettugi
- caterpillar 애벌레 aebeolre
- termite 흰개미 huingaemi
- wasp 말벌 malbeol
- moth 나방 nabang
- newt 뉴트 nyuteu
- salamander 도롱뇽 dorongnyong
Browse all Korean words in the glossary.
Questions about 거북이
How do you pronounce 거북이?
Break "geobugi" into its syllables and read them at a steady pace, keeping the vowels short until the last one, which trails off softly.
Is 거북이 formal or casual?
거북이 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 거북이 written in Korean?
거북이 is written using hangul. Romanised, it reads as geobugi.
Where can I practice Korean words for free?
You can play free Korean minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Korean glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Tortoise" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Korean language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.
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