宁做鸡头，不做凤尾

Traditional form:

寧做雞頭，不做鳳尾

Pinyin (reading):

nìngzuòjītóu,bùzuòfèngwěi

Definitions:

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

Characters:

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

Traditional characters:

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