宁为鸡头，不为凤尾

Traditional form:

寧為雞頭，不為鳳尾

Pinyin (reading):

nìngwéijītóu,bùwéifèngwěi

Definitions:

• see 寧做雞頭，不做鳳尾／宁做鸡头，不做凤尾 (nìngzuòjītóu,bùzuòfèngwěi)

Characters:

• 宁 - calm, peaceful; healthy; rather; to prefer
• 为 - to do, to act; to handle, to govern; to be
• 鸡 - chicken
• 头 - head; chief, boss; first, top
• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 为 - to do, to act; to handle, to govern; to be
• 凤 - male phoenix; symbol of joy
• 尾 - tail; extremity, end; back, rear

Traditional characters:

• 寧 - calm, peaceful; healthy; rather; to prefer
• 為 - to do, to act; to handle, to govern; to be
• 雞 - chicken
• 頭 - head; chief, boss; first, top
• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 為 - to do, to act; to handle, to govern; to be
• 鳳 - male phoenix; symbol of joy
• 尾 - tail; extremity, end; back, rear