kylling
/ˈkyleŋ/common gender
The English word 'chicken' translates to Danish as kylling. Wiktionary also lists høne.
Meaning: bird (noun)
Ways to say it
| Danish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| kylling | /ˈkyleŋ/ | common gender |
| høne | /hœːnə/ | common gender |
kylling is used to refer to the animal species in general or to chicken as meat used in cooking. For example, you might use the related term Kyllingefilet to mean 'chicken breast'.
Which one should you use?
kylling refers to the chicken species or the meat, whereas høne is used specifically when referring to an adult female chicken or a hen.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of kylling is kyllinger. If you want to express possession, the definite genitive form is kyllingens.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkyleŋ/
Did you know?
- A bachelorette party in Denmark is called a hønefest, which literally translates to a 'hen-party'.
- The Danish word for hen, høne, shares its ancient roots with the concept of singing, as it traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to sing'.
- In Danish, the word kylling can be used as a slang term to call someone a coward, mirroring the English usage of 'chicken'.
Examples in context
- Hun købte en kylling.She bought a chicken.This sentence shows the use of kylling as a direct object.Tatoeba #5176740 by sifhg, translation #312081 by CK
- Han har fanget kyllingen.He caught the chicken.This sentence demonstrates the use of the definite form of kylling.Tatoeba #3593195 by danepo, translation #1690042 by Spamster
- Jeg elsker stegt kylling.I love roast chicken.This sentence shows how kylling is used to refer to the meat in a food context.Tatoeba #8140469 by danepo, translation #4499924 by CK
- Jeg ønsker at bestille kylling.I would like to order chicken.
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Freja are walking on a farm.
- LucasSe, der er en lille gul kylling!Look, there is a little yellow chicken!
- FrejaHvor er den søde kylling dog!How cute that chicken is!
- LucasTror du, den kan gå selv?Do you think it can walk by itself?
- FrejaJa, den lille kylling ser modig ud.Yes, the little chicken looks brave.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chicken” translations and entries kylling, høne, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries høne, kylling, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
