雄雞 / 雄鸡
xióngjī
The English word rooster is translated into Chinese as 雄雞 / 雄鸡 (xióngjī) or 公雞 / 公鸡.
Meaning: male chicken, male gallinaceous bird (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 雄雞 / 雄鸡 | xióngjī |
| 公雞 / 公鸡 | gōngjī |
Both terms refer to a male chicken or a male gallinaceous bird.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 雄雞 / 雄鸡 is composed of 雄 (male) and 雞 (chicken). The term 公雞 / 公鸡 is composed of 公 (male/public) and 雞 (chicken).
Which one should you use?
公雞 / 公鸡 is the common, everyday way to say rooster, while 雄雞 / 雄鸡 is used in more formal, literary or scientific contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
xióngjī
Did you know?
- There is a traditional Chinese folk belief that a rooster's crow can drive away evil spirits and ghosts. Because of this, the 公雞 is often featured in myths as a protector of the home.
- In Chinese culture, the rooster is one of the twelve animals of the zodiac, and people born in the 'Year of the Rooster' are often thought to be hardworking and brave.
- The character 公 in 公雞 is the same one used for 'public' or 'official' in words like 'public telephone'.
Examples in context
- 公鸡在早晨啼鸣The rooster crows in the morning
- 我听到一只鸡在叫I heard a rooster crowing
- 雞公在叫The rooster is crowing
- 我喜欢看公鸡在院子里昂首阔步I love watching roosters strut around the yard.
- 公鸡以其鲜艳的羽毛而闻名Roosters are known for their vivid feathers.
- 鸡叫声在黎明时分将我吵醒The sound of a rooster crowing woke me up at dawn.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rooster” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
