кокош
kȍkōš/kôkoːʃ/Cyrillic, feminine
The Serbian word for chicken is кокош (kȍkōš). Wiktionary also lists кокошка (kòkōška) and пиле (pȉle).
Meaning: bird (noun)
Ways to say it
| Serbian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| кокош | kȍkōš | /kôkoːʃ/ | Cyrillic, feminine |
| кокошка | kòkōška | /kǒkoːʃka/ /kǒkoʃka/ |
Cyrillic, feminine |
| пиле | pȉle | /pîle/ | Cyrillic, neuter |
| kokoš | /kôkoːʃ/ | Latin, feminine | |
| kokoška | /kǒkoːʃka/ /kǒkoʃka/ |
Latin, feminine | |
| pile | /pîle/ | Latin, neuter |
While the words provided name the bird, when you are specifically referring to chicken as meat or food, Serbian speakers typically use the noun пилетина.
Which one should you use?
The form кокошка is a common, slightly more colloquial variation of кокош used to refer to a hen.
How does it change in a sentence?
The term кокошка is a common variation of кокош used for referring to a hen.
How do you pronounce it?
kȍkōš
Did you know?
- The word пиле is used as a term of endearment for children or loved ones, similar to calling someone 'sweetie' or 'honey' in English.
- In many Slavic languages, including Serbian, the word for chicken is often an onomatopoeic attempt to mimic the sound the bird makes.
- The word кокош is a linguistic relative of the English word 'cock', as both derive from ancient roots describing the bird's appearance or sound.
Examples in context
- Том је купио пилетину.Tom bought chicken.This sentence is useful for seeing how to refer to chicken meat using the form пиле.Tatoeba #12414827 by Lebad, translation #8382157 by CK
- Пилетина је била укусна.The chicken was delicious.This sentence is useful for describing the taste of chicken meat using the form пиле.Tatoeba #12402773 by Lebad, translation #4629001 by Hybrid
- Većina ljudi voli piletinu.Most people like chicken.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for chicken meat using the form pile.Tatoeba #4967668 by Lebad, translation #4954841 by Hybrid
- Molim vas, da li imate piletinu na meniju?Excuse me, do you have chicken on the menu?
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Marija and Stefan are visiting a farm.
- MarijaPogledaj, ona bela кокош je baš velika!Look, that white chicken is really big!
- StefanDa, izgleda veoma zdrava.Yes, it looks very healthy.
- MarijaDa li ta кокош nosi jaja svakog dana?Does that chicken lay eggs every day?
- StefanTako je, farmer kaže da jesu sveže.That's right, the farmer says they are fresh.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chicken” translations and entries кокош, кокошка, пиле, kokoš, kokoška, pile, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kokoš, кокош, пиле, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
