おんどり
ondori
The English word "rooster" is おんどり (ondori) in Japanese.
The term refers to a male chicken or a male gallinaceous bird.
Meaning: male chicken, male gallinaceous bird (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
When written with kanji as 雄鶏, the word is composed of the character for "male" (雄) and the character for "chicken" (鶏).
Which one should you use?
The word for a hen is めんどり, which is the counterpart to おんどり.
How do you pronounce it?
ondori
When do people say it?
In Japanese, コケコッコー is an onomatopoeic term used to represent the crowing sound of a rooster.
Did you know?
- The prefix お in おんどり is not always a polite honorific. In this specific case, it functions as a marker to distinguish the male bird from the female めんどり.
- In Japanese zodiac signs, the rooster is the tenth animal, and people born in the 'Year of the Rooster' are often thought to be hardworking and reliable.
- In Japanese folklore, the rooster is seen as a herald of light that drives away darkness. This makes the おんどり a symbol of diligence and the start of a new beginning.
Examples in context
- おんどりが鳴いています。Ondori ga naite imasu.A rooster is crowing.
- あそこに立派なおんどりがいますね。Asoko ni rippa na ondori ga imasu ne.There is a splendid rooster over there, isn't there?
- おんどりの絵を描きました。Ondori no e o kakimashita.I drew a picture of a rooster.
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are visiting a farm.
- 美咲 Misaki見て、あのおんどりは赤いね。mite, ano ondori wa akai ne.Look, that rooster is red, isn't it?
- 健太 Kenta本当だ。かっこいいおんどりだね。hontou da. kakkoii ondori da ne.You're right. It's a cool rooster.
- 美咲 Misakiおんどりは朝早くに鳴くのかな？ondori wa asa hayaku ni naku no kana?I wonder if roosters crow early in the morning?
- 健太 Kentaうん、たぶんそうだと思うよ。un, tabun sou da to omou yo.Yeah, I think so.
