csirke
[ˈt͡ʃirkɛ]
The English word "chicken" is translated into Hungarian as csirke.
csirke is the most common and widely used term in Hungarian. It can be used to refer to both the living animal and the meat itself.
Meaning: bird (noun)
Which one should you use?
While csirke is the general term for the bird or the meat, Hungarian has more specific biological terms: tyúk refers specifically to a hen and kakas is used specifically for a rooster. You can also specify certain parts of the bird by combining the word with others, such as csirkemell for chicken breast.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are eating or buying chicken as a direct object in a sentence, the word takes the accusative suffix -t and becomes csirkét.
Did you know?
- The word csirke is an onomatopoeia, meaning it was created to mimic the actual sound a chick makes.
- In Hungarian, the word for a rooster, kakas, is also the name for a very common type of traditional weather vane found on many old Hungarian houses.
- While an English speaker might say someone is 'acting like a chicken' to mean they are scared, a Hungarian person calling someone a csirke is often implying they are foolish or easy to trick.
Examples in context
- Egy kicsit száraz a csirke.The chicken is a bit too dry.This sentence shows how to describe the texture of the csirke.Tatoeba #4924809 by bandeirante, translation #4121144 by Hybrid
- A csirkebőrt nem eszem meg.I don't eat chicken skin.This sentence uses csirke to discuss eating a specific part of the bird.Tatoeba #9688520 by maaster, translation #953420 by CK
- A csirke nagyon ízletes volt.The chicken was delicious.This sentence demonstrates how to describe the taste of the csirke.Tatoeba #4629298 by bandeirante, translation #4629001 by Hybrid
- 30 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Anna and László are deciding what to cook for dinner.
- AnnaMit együnk ma este?What should we eat tonight?
- LászlóSzeretnék csirkét a vacsorára.I would like chicken for dinner.
- AnnaVan még csirke a hűtőben?Is there still chicken in the fridge?
- LászlóIgen, van egy egész csirke.Yes, there is a whole chicken.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chicken” translations and entries csirke, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries csirke, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
