出头的椽子先烂
Traditional form:
出頭的椽子先爛
Pinyin (reading):
chūtóudechuánzixiānlàn
Definitions:
- lit. rafters that jut out rot first (idiom)
- fig. anyone who makes himself conspicuous will be targeted for attack
Characters:
- 出 - to go out, to send out; stand; produce
- 头 - head; chief, boss; first, top
- 的 - aim, goal; of; possessive particle; -self suffix
- 椽 - beams, rafters, supports
- 子 - son, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thing
- 先 - first, former, previous
- 烂 - overcooked, overripe; rotten, spoiled
Traditional characters: