Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| دَجَاجَة | dajāja | feminine | |
| فرخة | farḵa | Egyptian Arabic, feminine | |
| دياي | Gulf Arabic | ||
| دجاجة | dujāja | /da.d͡ʒaː.d͡ʒa/ | Hijazi Arabic, feminine |
The term refers to the bird species. While دَجَاجَة is the standard way to refer to a single female chicken, the word can also be used in various forms to describe chickens in a general sense.
Which one should you use?
The form دَجَاجَة specifically refers to a single female chicken or a single unit of chicken. In contrast, the form دَجَاج can be used as a collective noun to refer to chickens in general or a group of chickens.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the most common way to say chicken is فرخة. In the Gulf region, the word دياي is used specifically to refer to chicken. In Hijazi Arabic, the form دجاجة is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word دَجَاج can function as a collective noun to represent a group of chickens or chickens in general. The form دَجَاجَة is the feminine singular form.
How do you pronounce it?
dajāja
Did you know?
- In some Arabic cultures, calling someone a دجاجة can be a slang way to describe someone who is cowardly or lacks courage.
- The Arabic root for دجاج is linked to the idea of 'clucking' or making a noise, mimicking the sound of the bird.
- The Gulf Arabic word دياي is a linguistic evolution of the classical دجاج, where the sound 'j' shifted to 'y'.
Examples in context
- دجاجة!Chicken!This sentence is useful for practicing the exclamation of the word دجاجة.Tatoeba #6009450 by damascene, translation #1349848 by sacredceltic
- باع لي دجاجة.He sold me a chicken.This sentence is useful for describing a transaction involving دجاجة.Tatoeba #11974691 by dididodo, translation #8034073 by Amastan
- هل عندها دجاجة؟Does she have a chicken?This sentence is useful for asking about the possession of a دجاجة.Tatoeba #11975998 by dididodo, translation #12866162 by rul
- أعشق الطبخ بالدجاج.I love cooking with chicken.
Example conversation
In a small village farm.
- سارة Saraهل هذه دَجَاجَة؟hal hadhihi dajaja?Is this a chicken?
- زياد Ziadنعم، هذه دَجَاجَة بيضاء.na'am, hadhihi dajaja bayda.Yes, this is a white chicken.
- سارة Saraإنها دَجَاجَة جميلة جداً.innaha dajaja jamila jiddan.It is a very beautiful chicken.
- زياد Ziadشكراً لك يا سارة.shukran laki ya sara.Thank you, Sarah.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chicken” translations and entries دجاجة, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
