The hen is hatching her chicks.
Source: tatoeba (31746)
Hen
/hɛn/
Synonyms for "hen" (94 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: bachelorette, bantam, banty, barn-door fowl, barnyard fowl.
- Sentence evidence is available for hen, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, moby, derived_reverse, wordnet, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "hen".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "hen"
Keep "hen" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "hen" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "hen", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "hen" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
Translations
58 translations across 37 languages.
Armenian
1 entries- մարի noun (female bird)
Avestan
1 entries- [script needed] (kahrkäsah) noun (female bird)
Catalan
1 entries- au femella noun (female bird)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 母雞 /母鸡 noun (female bird)
Corsican
3 entries- gallina noun (female bird)
- ghjaddina noun (female bird)
- ghjallina noun (female bird)
Czech
1 entries- slepice noun (female bird)
Dalmatian
1 entries- čauca noun (female bird)
Danish
1 entries- høne noun (female bird)
Dutch
3 entries- hen noun (female bird)
- moederkloek noun (hen-like woman)
- wijfje noun (female bird)
Eshtehardi
1 entries- کرگه noun (female bird)
Esperanto
1 entries- birdino noun (female bird)
Finnish
1 entries- kana noun (female bird)
French
1 entries- poule noun (hen-like woman)
German
1 entries- Weibchen noun (female bird)
Greek
2 entries- κότα noun (hen-like woman)
- πουλάδα noun (female bird)
Hungarian
1 entries- tojó noun (female bird)
Italian
2 entries- gallina noun (female bird)
- gallina noun (hen-like woman)
Japanese
2 entries- めんどり noun (female bird)
- 雌鶏 noun (female bird)
Macedonian
2 entries- же́нка noun (female bird)
- ко́кошка noun (hen-like woman)
Malay
1 entries- ayam betina noun (female bird)
Middle Persian
1 entries- kirk noun (female bird)
Māori
3 entries- kātua noun (female bird)
- uha noun (female bird)
- uwha noun (female bird)
Old English
1 entries- cwēnfugol noun (female bird)
Parthian
1 entries- karga (kirga) noun (female bird)
Persian
1 entries- مرغ noun (female bird)
Portuguese
3 entries- ave-fêmea noun (female bird)
- galinha noun (hen-like woman)
- pássara noun (female bird)
Punjabi
1 entries- ਕੁੱਕੜੀ noun (female bird)
Quechua
1 entries- tuqtu noun (female bird)
Russian
4 entries- ба́ба noun (hen-like woman)
- ку́рочка noun (female bird)
- са́мка noun (female bird)
- тёлка noun (hen-like woman)
Scottish Gaelic
1 entries- cearc noun (female bird)
Serbo-Croatian
4 entries- koka noun (hen-like woman)
- ženka noun (female bird)
- женка noun (female bird)
- кока noun (hen-like woman)
Spanish
1 entries- ave hembra noun (female bird)
Swahili
1 entries- tembe noun (female bird)
Swedish
3 entries- brud noun (hen-like woman)
- brutta noun (hen-like woman)
- höna noun (female bird)
Tamil
2 entries- பெண் noun (female bird)
- பெண் noun (hen-like woman)
Telugu
1 entries- ఆడపక్షి noun (female bird)
Unami
1 entries- xkwehële noun (female bird)
Sample sentences
18 total sentences available.
The hen sits on her eggs until they hatch.
Source: tatoeba (31748)
The hen was sitting on the eggs in the nest.
Source: tatoeba (31749)
The hen keeps her brood under her.
Source: tatoeba (31751)
Showing 4 of 18 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "hen"?
Closest matches include bachelorette, bantam, banty, barn-door fowl, barnyard fowl.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "hen"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.