龜 / 龟
guī
The English word tortoise is translated into Chinese as 龜 / 龟 (guī). Wiktionary also lists 烏龜 / 乌龟 (wūguī) and 草龜 / 草龟 (cǎoguī).
Meaning: land-dwelling reptile (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 龜 / 龟 | guī |
| 烏龜 / 乌龟 | wūguī |
| 草龜 / 草龟 | cǎoguī |
| 陸龜 / 陆龟 | lùguī |
The term 龜 / 龟 refers to the general concept of a turtle or tortoise. For the specific animal, the most common everyday term used is 烏龜 / 乌龟. When you need to specifically distinguish a land-dwelling tortoise from aquatic turtles, use 陸龜 / 陆龟.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 烏龜 / 乌龟 literally means "black turtle", composed of 烏 (black) and 龜 (turtle/tortoise). The term 陸龜 / 陆龟 is composed of 陸 (land) and 龜 (turtle/tortoise).
Which one should you use?
While 龜 / 龟 refers to the general concept of a turtle or tortoise, 烏龜 / 乌龟 is the most common everyday term used to refer to the animal itself. Use 陸龜 / 陆龟 to specifically refer to land tortoises and distinguish them from aquatic species.
How do you pronounce it?
guī
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, calling someone an 烏龜 is a severe insult, as it implies the person is a coward or has a cuckolded husband.
- The ancient characters for 龜 / 龟 are a pictogram that represents the animal from two perspectives at once: a side view and a top view.
- The tortoise is one of the four celestial animals in Chinese mythology, representing the North and the element of water.
Examples in context
- 我喜欢看龟类。I enjoy watching tortoises.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tortoise” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 龜, CC BY-SA 4.0.
