noun
little chicken, hen (dialect)
B1
Meanings: little chicken; hen (regional dialect). Dialectal Austrian/Bavarian noun. Gender neuter (das Henderl). Plural Henderln (regional plural with -n), declension shows Henderls (genitive singular) and Henderln in plural. Used informally; diminutive nuance indicates small or affectionate reference to poultry. Common in spoken colloquial contexts. Not standard German; appears regionally.
Examples
Bei dem Gasthaus bestellten die Besucher ein Henderl, obwohl sie die Spezialität noch nie probiert hatten.
At the inn the visitors ordered a Henderl, although they had never tried the speciality before.
In Bayern bestellt man im Biergarten oft ein halbes Henderl.
In Bavaria, people often order half a chicken in a beer garden.
Das Henderl pickte Körner im Hof.
The little chicken was pecking at grains in the yard.
Details
Mnemonics
Imagine a small, fluffy chicken tucked under a tiny barn roof
Sounds like 'hen' + little 'derl' (think 'hen-derl')
das Henderl — neuter like das 'Küken' (a little animal/young animal is often neuter)
Notes
Henderl is a regional/dialect diminutive for chicken common in parts of Austria/Bavaria. It's neuter (das). Use contextually with local or informal speech.