寧做雞頭，不做鳳尾 nìng zuò jī tóu ， bù zuò fèng wěi

better be leader of small than tail of big

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. fig. to prefer to be a big fish in a small pond rather than a small fish in a big pond
  2. 2. lit. would rather be a chicken's head than a phoenix's tail (idiom)

Characters

Character Meaning
寧 nìng
peaceful; surname Ning
做 zuò HSK 1
to do; to make; to engage in
雞 jī
chicken; fowl; (slang) prostitute
頭 tóu
head; the top; end
不 bù HSK 1
not; no; (negative prefix)
做 zuò HSK 1
to do; to make; to engage in
鳳 fèng
phoenix; surname Feng
尾 wěi HSK 5
tail; remainder; remnant