German Word of the Day: Schildkröte

Today’s word is a favorite among kids, nature lovers, and German learners alike. The German word for turtle is Schildkröte — and once you break it down, it’s one of the most delightfully descriptive animal names in the language.

Schildkröte is a feminine noun, so the correct article is die — die Schildkröte. If you’re still figuring out how to know whether a word is der, die, or das, take a look at our quick and incredibly helpful 5-minute video — it’s the fastest way to understand German genders without getting stuck in grammar books.

Real conversations where Schildkröte might come up

Whether you're at the zoo, reading a picture book, or talking about animals with your child, Schildkröte is one of those words that pops up early in everyday German. And just like in English, it can also be used metaphorically — to describe someone slow or adorably stubborn.

– Was war dein Lieblingstier als Kind?
– Die Schildkröte! Ich fand sie so süß und ruhig.
(“What was your favorite animal as a child?” – “The turtle! I thought it was so cute and calm.”)

Beginner sample dialogue

Ben: Schau mal! Eine Schildkröte!
Mila: Wo? Ich sehe sie nicht.
Ben: Da, im Wasser! Sie schwimmt ganz langsam.

(Ben: Look! A turtle!
Mila: Where? I don’t see it.
Ben: There, in the water! It’s swimming very slowly.)

Grammar in action: How to use Schildkröte

Here’s how Schildkröte appears across the four German cases:

• Nominative: Die Schildkröte schläft.
  (The turtle is sleeping.)

• Accusative: Ich sehe die Schildkröte im Garten.
  (I see the turtle in the garden.)

• Dative: Gib der Schildkröte etwas Salat.
  (Give the turtle some lettuce.)

• Genitive: Der Panzer der Schildkröte ist hart.
  (The turtle’s shell is hard.)

Still unsure what nominative, accusative, or dative even mean? You’re not alone. Our friendly and fast German Grammar video course explains the entire case system in plain English — perfect for anyone who wants to understand German without memorizing charts.

Other ways to say turtle in German

Technically, Schildkröte covers both turtles (living in water) and tortoises (living on land). If you want to be more specific, you can say Wasserschildkröte for aquatic turtles and Landschildkröte for land-based tortoises. But in casual conversation, Schildkröte usually works just fine for either.

Word variations and tidbits

Here’s where German gets fun. Schildkröte is a compound word:

• Schild = shield

• Kröte = toad

Yes, that’s right — a turtle in German is literally a shield-toad. The visual is perfect: a squat little creature with a hard shell that looks like a knight’s shield. German animal names are full of these charming combos — Waschbär (wash-bear = raccoon), Faultier (lazy-animal = sloth), and more.

This kind of logic is actually a big help when building vocabulary — once you learn the building blocks, new words make sense right away.

Duden entry:
https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Schildkroete

Ready for more German Words of the Day?
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