कछुआ
kachhuāstandard
The Hindi word for tortoise is कछुआ (kachhuā). It is also used for a turtle, since Hindi uses one common word for both. It is also called कच्छप (kachchhap).
Meaning: slow land reptile with a shell (noun)
Ways to say it
| Indian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| कछुआ | kachhuā | standard |
| कच्छप | kachchhap | formal, Sanskrit derived |
A line children learn in a well-known fable is the slow कछुआ (kachhuā) beating the fast hare, खरगोश (kharagosh).
Which one should you use?
कच्छप (kachchhap) is the literary form. It appears in old texts and in religious talk, but not in daily speech.
Did you know?
- The tortoise and the hare story is told in Hindi as कछुआ और खरगोश (kachhuā aur kharagosh).
Examples in context
- कछुआ धीरे चलता है।kachhuā dhīre chaltā hai.The tortoise walks slowly.
- तालाब में एक कछुआ है।tālāb meṁ ek kachhuā hai.There is a tortoise in the pond.
Example conversation
A father, Mohit, shows a pet tortoise to his daughter Ria.
- Riaपापा, यह क्या है?pāpā, yah kyā hai?Dad, what is this?
- Mohitयह कछुआ है।yah kachhuā hai.This is a tortoise.
- Riaयह बहुत धीरे चलता है!yah bahut dhīre chaltā hai!It walks very slowly!
