寧為雞口，無為牛後

Chinese

		peaceful; rather; Ningxia (abbrev.)	because of; for; to because of; for; to; act as; take...to be; to be; to do; to serve as; to become	fowl; chicken	mouth; (a measure word, for people, livestock or utensils)		not have	because of; for; to because of; for; to; act as; take...to be; to be; to do; to serve as; to become	ox; cow; bull	back; behind; rear back; behind; rear; afterwards; after; later
trad. (寧為雞口，無為牛後/寧爲鷄口，無爲牛後)		寧	為/爲	雞/鷄	口	，	無	為/爲	牛	後
simp. (宁为鸡口，无为牛后)		宁	为	鸡	口	，	无	为	牛	后
alternative forms		寧為雞口，不為牛後／宁为鸡口，不为牛后
Literally: “Better be the beak of a chicken (smaller but cleaner) than the arse of an ox (bigger but dirtier)”.

Etymology

Quoted from Su Qin's speech to King Xuanhui of Han, persuading him to unite with other states to fight against Qin:

臣聞鄙語曰：「寧為雞口，無為牛後」。今大王西面交臂而臣事秦，何以異於牛後乎？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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臣闻鄙语曰：「宁为鸡口，无为牛后」。今大王西面交臂而臣事秦，何以异于牛后乎？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Zhanguo Ce, circa 5^th – 3^rd centuries BCE

Chén wén bǐyǔ yuē: “Níng wèi jī kǒu, wú wèi niú hòu”. Jīn dàwáng xīmiàn jiāobì ér chénshì qín, héyǐ yì yú niú hòu hū? [Pinyin]

(Su Qin said,) “I have heard that there is a saying that ‘it is better to be the beak of a chicken than the arse of an ox’. Now if Your Majesty would like to bow to the west and submit to Qin, that is no difference with being an ox's arse, isn't it?”

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): níng wéi jīkǒu, wú wéi niúhòu

  (Zhuyin): ㄋㄧㄥˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄐㄧ ㄎㄡˇ , ㄨˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄏㄡˋ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: níng wéi jīkǒu, wú wéi niúhòu
    • Zhuyin: ㄋㄧㄥˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄐㄧ ㄎㄡˇ , ㄨˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄏㄡˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: níng wéi jikǒu, wú wéi nióuhòu
    • Wade–Giles: ning² wei² chi¹-kʻou³, wu² wei² niu²-hou⁴
    • Yale: níng wéi jī-kǒu-, wú wéi nyóu-hòu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ning wei jikoou, wu wei niouhow
    • Palladius: нин вэй цзикоу, у вэй нюхоу (nin vɛj czikou, u vɛj njuxou)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /niŋ³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ kʰoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ ni̯oʊ̯³⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹/

Proverb

寧為雞口，無為牛後

1. (figurative) It is better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond.

   • 城池堅固，糧草豐足，尚可戰守。古語有云：『寧為雞口，無為牛後』。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     城池坚固，粮草丰足，尚可战守。古语有云：『宁为鸡口，无为牛后』。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Shi Nai'an, Water Margin, circa 14^th century CE

     Chéngchí jiāngù, liángcǎo fēngzú, shàng kě zhànshǒu. Gǔyǔ yǒu yún: ‘Níngwèijīkǒu, wúwèiniúhòu’. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Synonyms

• 雞口牛後 / 鸡口牛后 (jīkǒuniúhòu)

Related terms

• 寧為雞頭，不做鳳尾 / 宁为鸡头，不做凤尾 (nìng wéi jītóu, bù zuò fèngwěi)

Descendants

• → Japanese: 鶏口(けいこう)となるも牛後(ぎゅうご)となるなかれ (keikō tonarumo gyūgo tonarunakare) (calque)
• → Vietnamese: Thà làm đầu gà, hơn làm đuôi trâu (calque)

References

• “寧為雞口，無為牛後”, in 重編國語辭典修訂本 [Revised Mandarin Chinese Dictionary] (in Chinese), National Academy for Educational Research (Taiwan), 2021.