kurczak
/ˈkur.t͡ʂak/animal not person, masculine
The Polish word for chicken is kurczak.
kurczak is a masculine noun used to refer to the bird. In a culinary context, it is the standard term used to describe chicken meat. If you are speaking more broadly about poultry, you can use the word Drób. Other related bird terms include Kogut for a rooster and Jajko for an egg.
Meaning: bird (noun)
Which one should you use?
While kurczak can refer to the living bird, it is also the word used for the meat itself. For the plural form of the bird, use Kurczaki.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you refer to chicken as food that is being eaten or consumed, the word changes from the nominative kurczak to the accusative kurczaka.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkur.tʂak/. The word has 2 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The phrase kurczaki is often used as a mild, polite exclamation of surprise or frustration, acting as a 'clean' substitute for a common Polish swear word.
- The word kurczak is a diminutive form, meaning it literally translates closer to 'little chicken' than the generic English 'chicken'.
- The plural form kurczaki can sometimes be used as an affectionate nickname for a group of friends or children, though it is quite informal.
Examples in context
- To mięso to kurczak.That meat is chicken.This sentence shows how to identify the meat as kurczak.Tatoeba #567484 by Bilberry, translation #418859 by CK
- Nie mogę jeść kurczaka.I can't eat chicken.This sentence demonstrates the use of the accusative form kurczaka when the chicken is being eaten.Tatoeba #2005845 by Dominika, translation #1951549 by CK
- Nie jem skóry z kurczaka.I don't eat chicken skin.This sentence shows the accusative form kurczaka used when referring to skin from the chicken.Tatoeba #965053 by zipangu, translation #953420 by CK
- Poproszę danie z kurczakiem.I'd like a dish with chicken, please.
- Chcę zrobić coś smacznego z kurczaka na obiad.I want to make something delicious with chicken for dinner.
- Na targu widziałem wiele pięknych kurczaków.I saw many beautiful chickens at the market.
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Agnieszka and Krzysztof are visiting a small farm.
- AgnieszkaSpójrz, Krzysztofie, jaki śliczny kurczak!Look, Krzysztof, what a lovely chicken!
- KrzysztofTak, ten kurczak jest bardzo uroczy.Yes, this chicken is very cute.
- AgnieszkaCzy chcesz go nakarmić?Do you want to feed it?
- KrzysztofNie, bo on jest bardzo szybki.No, because it is very fast.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chicken” translations and entries kurczak, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
