雌鶏
mendori[mẽ̞ndo̞ɾʲi]
The Japanese word for "hen" is 雌鶏 (mendori).
雌鶏 is a noun used to refer specifically to a female chicken.
Meaning: female chicken (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
mendori
Did you know?
- In Japanese, animals like the 雌鶏 are sometimes referred to using the counter 羽 (wing) instead of general counters for living things.
- The word for chicken, にわとり (niwatori), literally translates to 'garden bird'.
- In traditional Japanese folklore, the chicken is associated with the dawn, and the distinction between 雌鶏 and 雄鶏 (rooster) is often linked to yin and yang symbols.
Examples in context
- 私の友人は鶏を飼っています。My friend has a hen.
- その鶏は美しい羽を持っています。That hen has beautiful feathers.
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are visiting a small farm.
- 美咲 Misaki見て、あの雌鶏はとてもかわいいね。Mite, ano mesudori wa totemo kawaii ne.Look, that hen is very cute.
- 健太 Kenta本当だ。いい色をしているね。Hontou da. Ii iro o shite iru ne.You're right. It has a nice color.
- 美咲 Misaki卵を産んでいるところかな。Tamago o unde iru tokoro kana.I wonder if it's laying an egg.
- 健太 Kentaきっとそうだと思うよ。Kitto sou da to omou yo.I bet that's the case.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hen” translations and entries 雌鶏, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 雌鶏, CC BY-SA 4.0.
