écaille de tortue
/e.kaj də tɔʁ.ty/feminine
The English phrase tortoiseshell cat is translated into French as écaille de tortue.
Meaning: cat (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form for a male cat is chat, while the feminine form for a female cat is chatte.
Did you know?
- The term tortue is etymologically linked to the Greek word for a resident of Tartarus, the deep abyss used as a prison for the gods.
- Because tortoiseshell cats are almost exclusively female, the phrase écaille de tortue is most commonly paired with the feminine noun chatte.
- While écaille de tortue refers to the coloring, French speakers use the word calicot for a cat that also has white patches in its fur.
Example sentences for French are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are looking at photos of pets.
- ChloéC'est mon nouveau chat, une écaille de tortue.This is my new cat, a tortoiseshell.
- NathanElle est vraiment magnifique, Chloé.She is truly magnificent, Chloé.
- ChloéMerci, j'adore les couleurs de l'écaille de tortue.Thank you, I love the colors of the tortoiseshell.
- NathanC'est vrai, c'est très original.It's true, it's very original.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tortoiseshell cat” translations and entries écaille de tortue, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, tortue, écaille, CC BY-SA 4.0.
