turtle / tortoise
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turtle / tortoise
A reptile with a characteristic bony shell that lives on land (tortoise) or in water (water turtle).
Die alte Schildkröte bewegte sich langsam durch den Garten.
The old tortoise moved slowly through the garden.
The word 'Schildkröte' (turtle/tortoise) is a compound of 'der Schild' (the shield) and 'die Kröte' (the toad). It therefore describes the animal figuratively as a 'toad with a shield' — a very memorable mnemonic.
Die Schildkröte zog ihren Kopf unter den Panzer.
The turtle pulled its head under its shell.
In German, turtles and tortoises are often associated with the qualities 'langsam' (slow) and 'alt' (old). You hear these adjectives very frequently in combination with the word.
Wie eine alte Schildkröte überquerte der Mann die Straße.
Like an old tortoise, the man crossed the street.
To specify the habitat of the turtle or tortoise, you simply put 'Land-' (land) or 'Wasser-' (water) before the word. This creates the common terms 'die Landschildkröte' (tortoise) and 'die Wasserschildkröte' (water turtle).
Im Terrarium lebt eine kleine Landschildkröte.
A small tortoise lives in the terrarium.
toad
'Schildkröte' and 'Kröte' are both animals, but they do not belong to the same animal group. A 'Schildkröte' is a reptile and has a hard shell. It can live on land or in water. A 'Kröte' is an amphibian, similar to a frog, usually with dry, warty skin. Learners may confuse the words because 'Kröte' appears inside 'Schildkröte'. Even so, a 'Schildkröte' is not a kind of 'Kröte'. Pay special attention to the shell: with a shell, you say 'Schildkröte'.
Im Garten läuft eine Schildkröte langsam über den warmen Steinweg.
In the garden, a tortoise walks slowly across the warm stone path.
Nach dem Regen saß eine Kröte am Rand des kleinen Teichs.
After the rain, a toad was sitting at the edge of the small pond.