German word

Hühnchen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈhyːnçən/

Meaning

  • neuter nounchicken

Example

Ich habe zum Abendessen ein Hühnchen bestellt.

I ordered chicken for dinner.

Illustration for Hühnchen (chicken)

More examples

Wir haben gegrilltes Hühnchen vom Markt mitgebracht.

We brought grilled chicken from the market.

Core concept

A compact whole chicken sits ready for serving, with the same word also fitting a single piece of chicken.

Common phrases

  • gegrilltes Hühnchen mit Kräutern

    grilled chicken with herbs

  • Hühnchen vom Grill

    grilled chicken

Similar words

Hähnchen: Prepared chicken intended for eating, including a served portion.
Huhn: A chicken viewed as a living bird or farmed poultry.
Geflügel: A general term for edible poultry such as chicken and turkey.
Brathähnchen: A whole chicken cooked by roasting and served as a dish.

Definition in German

Bezeichnung im Alltag für Hühnerfleisch, oft gebraucht für eine einzelne Portion oder ein kleines ganzes Huhn.

Word origin

The word combines Huhn, meaning chicken, with the German diminutive ending -chen and therefore originally referred to a small chicken.

Usage tips

  • The plural is also Hühnchen, so an article or a number word usually shows whether one or several are meant.

Other meanings

  • young chickennoun

Related words

  • Hühnerfleischchicken meatnoun
  • Hühnerkeulechicken legnoun

Word lists with this word