寧為玉碎，不為瓦全 nìng wéi yù suì ， bù wéi wǎ quán

DEFINITIONS

  1. Better broken jade than intact tile.
  2. Death is preferable to dishonor. (idiom)

CHARACTERS

寧 nìng repose, serenity, peace; peaceful
為 wéi do, handle, govern, act; be
玉 yù
HSK 5
jade, precious stone, gem
碎 suì
HSK 5
break, smash; broken, busted
不 bù
HSK 1
no, not; un-; negative prefix
為 wéi do, handle, govern, act; be
瓦 wǎ
HSK 6
tile; earthenware pottery; girl
全 quán
HSK 4
maintain, keep whole or intact