French · Nature, Animals & Weather
"Turtle" in French: tortue
la tortue
Turtle in French is la tortue, feminine. It covers land tortoises and sea turtles in everyday speech unless you get technical.
Pet shop
La tortue mange de la salade.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce tortue
Say it
tor-TÜ
/tɔʁ.ty/
Tortue: tor-TÜ. U is the French rounded u. Stress the second syllable.
"Turtle" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| la tortue | the turtle / tortoise Main word. | Main word. |
| une tortue | a turtle Indefinite. | Indefinite. |
| tortue de mer | sea turtle More specific. | More specific. |
| les tortues | turtles Plural. | Plural. |
How to use tortue in real life
- 1Pet shop
La tortue mange de la salade.
The turtle is eating lettuce.
Feminine la.
- 2Zoo
Regarde cette tortue géante.
Look at this giant turtle.
Cette + feminine.
- 3Kids
Les tortues avancent tout doucement.
Turtles move very slowly.
Tout doucement.
Mistakes English speakers make with tortue
Incorrect: Le tortue.
Correct: La tortue.
Tortue is feminine.
Incorrect: Une turtle.
Correct: Une tortue.
Use tortue.
Good to know
Tortue can be a gentle nickname for someone slow—friendly only if the relationship allows teasing. On menus, soupe de tortue is rare and old-fashioned in France.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Visiting a wildlife park
ChatPal
Tu vois la tortue près de l'eau ?
Do you see the turtle near the water?
You
Oui. Cette tortue est énorme.
Yes. That turtle is huge.
ChatPal
On lit le panneau ?
Shall we read the sign?
You
Oui, j'adore ces infos.
Yes, I love these facts.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Turtle" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Turtle" in French
Gender?
Feminine: la tortue.
Sea turtle?
Tortue de mer.
Pronunciation?
Tor-TÜ.
Plural?
Les tortues.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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