Details
Description
Chicken - the domestic fowl, and the dawn it announces.
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of phonetic and bird. Xi bird.
Symbolism
Chicken, egg, poultry. Represents domestic fowl.
Component Breakdown
claw + 夫 + bird
Words & Expressions
Words written with 鶏
Four-Character Compounds
鶏口牛後
けいこうぎゅうご
better to be the beak of a rooster than the rump of a bull; better to be the leader of a small group than a subordinate in a large organization; better to be a big fish in a little pond than a little fish in a big pond
鶏鳴狗盗
けいめいくとう
person who resorts to petty tricks; person of small caliber who is only capable of petty tricks
家鶏野鶩
かけいやぼく
bored by the familiar, intrigued by novelty; domestic chicken and wild duck; one's wife and one's mistress
Proverbs & Idioms
鶏口となるも牛後となるなかれ
けいこうとなるもぎゅうごとなるなかれ
Better the head of a chicken than the tail of an ox
Better to lead a small group than follow in a large one
Poetry
鶏頭の十四五本もありぬべし
There must be a good fourteen or fifteen cockscombs standing there.
Anime & Manga
軍鶏
Shamo
A well-known work with 鶏 in its Japanese title.
Other kanji with the same meaning
“chicken”
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 鶏 mean in Japanese?
鶏 means chicken. Chicken - the domestic fowl, and the dawn it announces.
How do you read 鶏?
On'yomi: ケイ (KEI). Kun'yomi: にわとり、とり (niwatori, tori).
How many strokes does 鶏 have?
鶏 has 19 strokes. Its radical is 鳥 (bird).
Is 鶏 a good kanji for a tattoo?
鶏 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means chicken. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.
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