Dictionary › 宁做鸡头，不做凤尾

宁做鸡头，不做凤尾

nìng zuò jī tóu , bù zuò fèng wěi

9-character word Traditional 寧做雞頭，不做鳳尾

What 宁做鸡头，不做凤尾 means

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

The characters in 宁做鸡头，不做凤尾

• 宁nìngwould rather; to prefer; how (emphatic)
• 做zuòto make; to produce; to write; to compose; to do; to engage in; to hold (a party etc)
• 鸡jīfowl; chicken; (slang) prostitute
• 头tóuhead; hair style; the top
• 不bùno; not so; (bound form) not; un-
• 做zuòto make; to produce; to write; to compose; to do; to engage in; to hold (a party etc)
• 凤fèngphoenix
• 尾wěitail; remainder; remnant