鸡

• Pinyin: jī
• Hanzi breakdown: 鸡 = 又 (hand, phonetic) + 鸟 (bird radical); simplified from 雞.

Meaning

Chicken. The common domesticated bird, or its meat used in cooking.

Refers to both the live animal and chicken meat. One of the most common meats in Chinese cuisine. Appears in many food names like 鸡蛋 (egg), 鸡肉 (chicken meat), and 鸡汤 (chicken soup).

Examples

1. 我们家养了五只鸡。 Our family raises five chickens.
2. 这只鸡很大。 This chicken is very big.
3. 妈妈买了一只鸡来做饭。 Mom bought a chicken to cook with.

Usage Guide

Context: food, animals, cooking

Tone: everyday

Do Say

• 我想吃鸡。(I want to eat chicken.)
• 鸡蛋多少钱？(How much are the eggs?)

Don't Say

• 注意'肉'在中文里默认指猪肉 (Note that 肉 by itself usually means pork in Chinese — say 鸡肉 specifically when you mean chicken meat)

Origin & History

Ancient character representing a domesticated fowl. Chickens have been raised in China for thousands of years and are central to Chinese cuisine.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal