żółw
/ˈʐuwf/animate, masculine
The English word 'turtle' is żółw in Polish.
żółw is used to describe any land or marine reptile with a shell, encompassing both turtles and tortoises.
Meaning: land or marine reptile with a shell (noun)
Which one should you use?
You can use the diminutive żółwik to refer to a small turtle. To specifically identify a female turtle, use the form żółwica.
How does it change in a sentence?
żółw is a masculine animate noun. It changes its form depending on its role in a sentence: use żółwia when the turtle is the direct object (accusative case), use żółwiowi when you are giving something to the turtle or speaking to it (dative case) and use żółwie for the plural form 'turtles'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʐuwf/
Did you know?
- In Polish, the diminutive żółwik can be used not just for small animals, but as an affectionate term for a slow-moving person.
- Due to the way the word ends, the pronunciation of żółw involves a subtle 'f' sound at the end in natural speech.
- The word żółw shares a phonetic similarity with the Polish word for 'yellow', żółty, though they are not linguistically related.
Examples in context
- Mój żółw mieszka w akwarium.My turtle lives in an aquarium.This sentence uses żółw to describe a turtle's habitat.Tatoeba #8627640 by arie, translation #13190800 by araneo
- Znaleźliśmy żółwia w ogrodzie.We found a turtle in the garden.This sentence shows the use of the form żółwia as a direct object.Tatoeba #12692406 by JimiYoru, translation #376630 by CK
- To żółwica Toma. Wabi się Mary.This is Tom's turtle. Her name is Mary.This sentence uses the feminine form żółwica to specify the gender of the turtle.Tatoeba #4788976 by Chemiczny_Bogdan, translation #4788270 by NatsuDonkey
- Proszę uważać na tego żółwia. Jest bardzo rzadki.Please be careful with this turtle. It's very rare.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Tomasz and Małgorzata are at a small petting zoo.
- TomaszPatrz, tam jest mały żółw!Look, there is a small turtle over there!
- MałgorzataOch, jest taki uroczy.Oh, he is so cute.
- TomaszCzy ten żółw jest bardzo wolny?Is this turtle very slow?
- MałgorzataTak, Tomasz, on się prawie nie rusza.Yes, Tomasz, he is hardly moving.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “turtle” translations and entries żółw, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
