How to say "hen" in Japanese

• 牝鶏ひんけい
  nounA hen, the female chicken: a kanji compound read ひんけい, separate from めんどり and not its kanji spelling. Less common; for simply naming the bird, めんどり is the more straightforward of the two.
• めんどり
  nounA hen — the female chicken. Usually written in kana alone. Also a less common word, but of the two it is the more straightforward choice when you simply want to name the bird.
  おんどりに時ときを告つげさせるのは、めんどりである。↗

  It is the hen that makes the rooster crow.

Both words mean a hen, the female chicken, and both are less common. Choose 「めんどり」, usually written in kana alone, to name the bird; 牝鶏 is a separate kanji compound read ひんけい, not a variant spelling of it.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 牝鶏ひんけいhen
• めんどりhen (female chicken)