Translation guide
The hard protective covering of a tortoise, often used as a material or in idiomatic expressions. In Japanese, the word for 'tortoise shell' is 亀の甲羅, but there are specific terms for the shell as a material (鼈甲) and for related concepts like 'turtle shell' (亀の甲).
Referring to the actual hard shell on a tortoise's back.
I found a tortoise shell in the garden.
That tortoise's shell is very hard.
A slightly more literary or old-fashioned term for 'tortoise shell'. 甲 (kou) means 'shell' or 'carapace'. It is less common in daily conversation but appears in proverbs and written contexts.
Experience counts more than a tortoise's shell. (proverb meaning 'wisdom comes with age')
Referring to the material made from the shell of the hawksbill sea turtle, used for ornaments, combs, etc.
The specific term for 'tortoiseshell' as a material, traditionally from the hawksbill turtle (タイマイ). Used for accessories like combs, eyeglass frames, and crafts. Note that international trade is now restricted under CITES.
This comb is made of tortoiseshell.
Literally 'hawksbill turtle shell'. Used when specifying the source animal, especially in conservation or biological contexts.
Describing a hexagonal pattern resembling a tortoise shell, or a shape like a dome.
A pattern of hexagons resembling a tortoise shell, often used in traditional Japanese design. 亀甲 (kikkou) is an alternative reading for 'tortoise shell' used in compounds.
This kimono has a tortoise shell pattern on it.
Short for 亀甲模様 or referring to the hexagonal shape itself. Also used in terms like 亀甲括弧 (kikkou kakko, tortoise shell brackets 【 】).
亀の甲羅 (kame no koura) refers to the physical shell of any turtle or tortoise. 鼈甲 (bekkou) specifically refers to the processed material from the hawksbill turtle, used in crafts. Do not use 鼈甲 to mean a live tortoise's shell.
I touched a live tortoise's shell.
I bought a tortoiseshell accessory.
In English, 'tortoise' usually means a land-dwelling species, while 'turtle' is aquatic. Japanese 亀 (kame) covers both. If you need to specify a land tortoise, you can say 陸亀 (rikugame), but it's not common in daily speech.
a craftsman of tortoiseshell work
International trade of hawksbill turtle shells is regulated.
亀甲のデザインが好きです。
I like tortoise shell designs.