nìng​wéi​jī​kǒu​wú​wéi​niú​hòu

better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond

  • created reference approved 宁为鸡口,无为牛后/寧為雞口,無為牛後 → 宁为鸡口,不为牛后/寧為雞口,不為牛後 (variant) — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    宁为鸡口,无为牛后 / 寧為雞口,無為牛後 nìng​wéi​jī​kǒu​wú​wéi​niú​hòu

    宁为鸡口,不为牛后 / 寧為雞口,不為牛後 nìng​wéi​jī​kǒu​bù​wéi​niú​hòu

    variant

    Changed: source (simp), source (trad), source pinyin, target (simp), target (trad), target pinyin, type

    created reference

  • created reference approved 宁为鸡口,无为牛后/寧為雞口,無為牛後 → 宁为鸡口,勿为牛后/寧為雞口,勿為牛後 (variant) — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    宁为鸡口,无为牛后 / 寧為雞口,無為牛後 nìng​wéi​jī​kǒu​wú​wéi​niú​hòu

    宁为鸡口,勿为牛后 / 寧為雞口,勿為牛後 nìng​wéi​jī​kǒu​wù​wéi​niú​hòu

    variant

    Changed: source (simp), source (trad), source pinyin, target (simp), target (trad), target pinyin, type

    created reference

  • created reference approved 宁为鸡口,无为牛后/寧為雞口,無為牛後 → 宁为鸡口,毋为牛后/寧為雞口,毋為牛後 (variant) — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    宁为鸡口,无为牛后 / 寧為雞口,無為牛後 nìng​wéi​jī​kǒu​wú​wéi​niú​hòu

    宁为鸡口,毋为牛后 / 寧為雞口,毋為牛後 nìng​wéi​jī​kǒu​wú​wéi​niú​hòu

    variant

    Changed: source (simp), source (trad), source pinyin, target (simp), target (trad), target pinyin, type

    created reference

  • created reference approved 宁为鸡口,无为牛后/寧為雞口,無為牛後 → 宁为鸡尸,不为牛从/寧為雞屍,不為牛從 (variant) — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    宁为鸡口,无为牛后 / 寧為雞口,無為牛後 nìng​wéi​jī​kǒu​wú​wéi​niú​hòu

    宁为鸡尸,不为牛从 / 寧為雞屍,不為牛從 nìng​wéi​jī​shī​bù​wéi​niú​cóng

    variant

    Changed: source (simp), source (trad), source pinyin, target (simp), target (trad), target pinyin, type

    created reference

  • created sense approved 宁为鸡口,无为牛后/寧為雞口,無為牛後 · nìng​wéi​jī​kǒu​wú​wéi​niú​hòu · better a small leader than a big follower — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    宁为鸡口,无为牛后 / 寧為雞口,無為牛後

    nìng​wéi​jī​kǒu​wú​wéi​niú​hòu

    better a small leader than a big follower

    better to be the beak of a bird than the rump of an ox; it is better to lead a small group than to be a lowly subordinate in a large organization

    宁 (literal) → 宁/寧 · nìng · would rather 为 (literal) → 为/為 · wéi · to be 鸡 (literal) → 鸡/雞 · jī · chicken 口 (literal) → 口 · kǒu · mouth , (non_chinese) 无 (literal) → 无/無 · wú · do not 为 (literal) → 为/為 · wéi · to be 牛 (literal) → 牛 · niú · ox 后 (literal) → 后/後 · hòu · behind

    Changed: simplified, traditional, gloss, definition, pinyin, variant pinyin, variants, separable parts, decomposition

    created sense

  • created sense approved 宁为鸡口,无为牛后/寧為雞口,無為牛後 · nìng​wéi​jī​kǒu​wú​wéi​niú​hòu · better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    宁为鸡口,无为牛后 / 寧為雞口,無為牛後

    nìng​wéi​jī​kǒu​wú​wéi​niú​hòu

    better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond

    Better to be independent in a small situation than to be subordinate and powerless in a large one; literally "better to be a chicken's mouth than a cow's backside"

    níng​wéi​jī​kǒu​wú​wéi​niú​hòu

    宁 (literal) → 宁/寧 · nìng · would rather 为 (literal) → 为/為 · wéi · to be 鸡 (literal) → 鸡/雞 · jī · chicken 口 (literal) → 口 · kǒu · mouth , (non_chinese) 无 (literal) → 无/無 · wú · to not have 为 (literal) → 为/為 · wéi · to be 牛 (literal) → 牛 · niú · ox 后 (literal) → 后/後 · hòu · behind

    Changed: simplified, traditional, gloss, definition, pinyin, variant pinyin, variants, separable parts, decomposition

    created sense