tortuga
“tortuga” means “turtle” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
turtle, tortoise
Also: shell
📝 In Action
La tortuga camina muy lento por el jardín.
A1The tortoise walks very slowly through the garden.
Vimos una tortuga marina gigante mientras buceábamos.
A2We saw a giant sea turtle while we were diving.
Las tortugas tienen un caparazón muy duro que las protege.
B1Turtles have a very hard shell that protects them.
slowpoke, snail
📝 In Action
¡Apúrate, no seas una tortuga!
B1Hurry up, don't be such a slowpoke!
Mi computadora es una tortuga hoy.
B2My computer is a snail today.
El tráfico es una tortuga a esta hora.
B2Traffic is at a crawl at this hour.
Vocabulary Collections
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: tortuga
Question 1 of 3
If you want to say 'the male turtle' in Spanish, which is correct?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Late Latin 'tartaruca', which comes from 'Tartarus' (the underworld). It was believed that these creatures emerged from the depths of the earth.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a different word for land tortoises?
While 'tortuga' covers both, you can say 'tortuga terrestre' for land tortoises and 'tortuga marina' for sea turtles to be more specific.
Why is it feminine even for males?
Many animal names in Spanish have a fixed gender (called 'epicene' nouns). It's just a rule of the language—the word gender is separate from the animal's biological sex.
How do I make it plural?
Just add an 's' at the end: 'las tortugas'.