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

Death is preferable to dishonor. (idiom)

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

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

Characters

Character Meaning
寧 nìng
peaceful; surname Ning
為 wéi
for; because of; to
玉 yù HSK 5
jade
碎 suì HSK 5
to break into pieces; fragmentary; to break down
不 bù HSK 1
not; no; (negative prefix)
為 wéi
for; because of; to
瓦 wǎ HSK 6
roof tile; abbr. for 瓦特wǎ tè
全 quán HSK 4
all; whole; entire