Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 龜 / 龟 | guī |
| 烏龜 / 乌龟 | wūguī |
| 王八 | wángba |
| 鱉 / 鳖 | biē |
The term refers to a land or marine reptile with a shell. While 龜 / 龟 serves as a formal or biological term, the most frequent way to refer to a turtle in everyday conversation is 烏龜 / 乌龟.
What does it mean word for word?
In the common term 烏龜 / 乌龟, the character 乌 means black.
Which one should you use?
龜 / 龟 is the formal or biological name for the reptile. 烏龜 / 乌龟 is the much more common term used in daily speech for hard-shelled turtles. If you are referring specifically to a soft-shelled turtle or a snapping turtle, use 鱉 / 鳖.
How do you pronounce it?
guī
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using 王八 when you want to talk about actual animals. In Chinese, this word is a highly offensive slang term used to call someone a bastard or a cuckold. English speakers should not use it to mean "turtle" in any polite context.
When do people say it?
In Chinese culture, the turtle is a symbol of longevity and wisdom.
Did you know?
- In Hong Kong Cantonese, the word for turtle 龜 can be used as slang to refer to the police.
- Ancient Chinese divination relied on 'oracle bones', which were often the plastrons or belly shells of 龜.
- The Black Tortoise is one of the four symbols of the Chinese constellations, representing the North and the season of winter.
Examples in context
- 我看到了一只 乌龟 。 (Wǒ kàn dào le yī zhī wū guī .)I saw a turtle.
- 我喜欢养小 鳖 作为宠物。 (Wǒ xǐhuān yǎng xiǎo biē zuòwéi chǒngwù.)I like to raise small turtles as pets.
- 我家有一只 龟 ，它非常聪明！ (Wǒ jiā yǒu yī zhī guī, tā fēicháng cōngmíng!)I have a turtle at home, and it is very clever!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “turtle” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 王八, 鱉, 龜, CC BY-SA 4.0.
