How do you say "hen" in Japanese?

雌鳥

mendori

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "hen" is 雌鳥 (mendori).

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Pronunciation

雌鳥 is written using kanji. Romanised as mendori, it sounds roughly like "meh-n-doh-ree" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Mendori combines the kanji for female (雌) and bird (鳥). The first character specifically marks this as the female form, distinguishing it from roosters.

Example sentence

子供たちは雌鳥を見て喜んでいます。

Kodomotachi wa Mendori wo mite yorokondeimasu.

The children are delighted to see the hen.

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How to remember 雌鳥

Female (雌) sits on the left. Bird (鳥) looks like a bird with wings spread. Female birds sit on eggs.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more farm words.

Questions about 雌鳥

How do you pronounce 雌鳥?

雌鳥 is romanised as mendori. Say it roughly like "meh-n-doh-ree" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 雌鳥 formal or casual?

雌鳥 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 雌鳥 written in Japanese?

雌鳥 is written using kanji. Mendori combines the kanji for female (雌) and bird (鳥).

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Hen" in other languages

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