宁做鸡头，不做凤尾
nìng​zuò​jī​tóu​bù​zuò​fèng​wěi

better a big fish in a small pond

  1. 宁 寧 nìng adverb
    would rather
    would rather; to prefer; would sooner
  2. 做 zuò verb
    to be
    To become, act as, or serve as; to hold a certain position or role
  3. 鸡头 雞頭 jī​tóu
    chicken head
    the head of a chicken
  4. ， bù
    non-Chinese
  5. 不 bù adverb
    not
    Negative adverb used before verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs to indicate negation; also used as a bound-form prefix to form terms with opposite meanings
  6. 做 zuò verb
    to be
    To become, act as, or serve as; to hold a certain position or role
  7. 凤 鳳 fèng noun
    phoenix
    A mythical bird in Chinese legends; specifically the male of the species in 凤凰 fèng​huáng
  8. 尾 wěi nounadverb
    end; remainder
    (bound form) end; extremity; conclusion; remaining part