How do you say "rooster" in Japanese?

雄鶏

ondori

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "rooster" is 雄鶏 (ondori).

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Pronunciation

雄鶏 is written using kanji. Romanised as ondori, it sounds roughly like "oh-n-doh-ree" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Ondori combines kanji for male (雄) and chicken (鶏). The male marker 雄 pairs with the bird kanji to show this is the male form.

Example sentence

動物園で雄鶏を見ました。

Doubutsuen de Ondori wo mimashita.

I saw a rooster at the zoo.

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How to remember 雄鶏

Male (雄) is powerful and bold. Chicken (鶏) has the bird radical. A rooster is the strong male bird.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more farm words.

Questions about 雄鶏

How do you pronounce 雄鶏?

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

Is 雄鶏 formal or casual?

雄鶏 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 雄鶏 written in Japanese?

雄鶏 is written using kanji. Ondori combines kanji for male (雄) and chicken (鶏).

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Rooster" in other languages

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