"寧為雞口，無為牛後" meaning in All languages combined

{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "ja",
            "2": "",
            "bor": "1"
          },
          "expansion": "→ Japanese:",
          "name": "desc"
        },
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "鶏口となるも牛後となるなかれ",
            "2": "けいこう となるも ぎゅうご となるなかれ"
          },
          "expansion": "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)",
          "name": "ja-r"
        },
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "calque"
          },
          "expansion": "(calque)",
          "name": "q"
        }
      ],
      "text": "→ 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)"
    },
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "vi",
            "2": "Thà làm đầu gà, hơn làm đuôi trâu",
            "bor": "1"
          },
          "expansion": "→ Vietnamese: Thà làm đầu gà, hơn làm đuôi trâu",
          "name": "desc"
        },
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "calque"
          },
          "expansion": "(calque)",
          "name": "q"
        }
      ],
      "text": "→ Vietnamese: Thà làm đầu gà, hơn làm đuôi trâu (calque)"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_examples": [
    {
      "english": "(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?”",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Classical Chinese",
        "Traditional Chinese"
      ],
      "ref": " Zhanguo Ce, circa 5ᵗʰ – 3ʳᵈ centuries BCE",
      "roman": "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?",
      "tags": [
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "text": "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？",
      "type": "quote"
    },
    {
      "english": "(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?”",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Classical Chinese",
        "Simplified Chinese"
      ],
      "ref": " Zhanguo Ce, circa 5ᵗʰ – 3ʳᵈ centuries BCE",
      "roman": "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?",
      "tags": [
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "text": "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？",
      "type": "quote"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Quoted from Su Qin's speech to King Xuanhui of Han, persuading him to unite with other states to fight against Qin",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "寧爲鷄口，無爲牛後",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Traditional Chinese"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "宁为鸡口，无为牛后",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Simplified Chinese"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "寧為雞口，不為牛後"
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "zh",
        "2": "proverb"
      },
      "expansion": "寧為雞口，無為牛後",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Chinese",
  "lang_code": "zh",
  "literal_meaning": "Better be the beak of a chicken (smaller but cleaner) than the arse of an ox (bigger but dirtier)",
  "pos": "proverb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Chinese entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Chinese proverbs",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Mandarin proverbs",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "raw_tags": [
            "Written Vernacular Chinese",
            "Traditional Chinese"
          ],
          "ref": " Shi Nai'an, Water Margin, circa 14ᵗʰ century CE",
          "roman": "Chéngchí jiāngù, liángcǎo fēngzú, shàng kě zhànshǒu. Gǔyǔ yǒu yún: ‘Níngwèijīkǒu, wúwèiniúhòu’.",
          "tags": [
            "Pinyin"
          ],
          "text": "城池堅固，糧草豐足，尚可戰守。古語有云：『寧為雞口，無為牛後』。",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "raw_tags": [
            "Written Vernacular Chinese",
            "Simplified Chinese"
          ],
          "ref": " Shi Nai'an, Water Margin, circa 14ᵗʰ century CE",
          "roman": "Chéngchí jiāngù, liángcǎo fēngzú, shàng kě zhànshǒu. Gǔyǔ yǒu yún: ‘Níngwèijīkǒu, wúwèiniúhòu’.",
          "tags": [
            "Pinyin"
          ],
          "text": "城池坚固，粮草丰足，尚可战守。古语有云：『宁为鸡口，无为牛后』。",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "It is better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond."
      ],
      "id": "en-寧為雞口，無為牛後-zh-proverb-Fx4Ku2~E",
      "links": [
        [
          "big fish in a small pond",
          "big fish in a small pond"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) It is better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "roman": "nìng wéi jītóu, bù zuò fèngwěi",
          "word": "寧為雞頭，不做鳳尾 / 宁为鸡头，不做凤尾"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "roman": "jīkǒuniúhòu",
          "word": "雞口牛後"
        },
        {
          "roman": "jīkǒuniúhòu",
          "word": "鸡口牛后"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "King Xuanhui of Han",
        "Qin (state)",
        "Su Qin"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "níng wéi jīkǒu"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "wú wéi niúhòu"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "bopomofo"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "ㄋㄧㄥˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄐㄧ ㄎㄡˇ"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "bopomofo"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "ㄨˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄏㄡˋ"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hanyu-Pinyin",
        "Mandarin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "níng wéi jīkǒu"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hanyu-Pinyin",
        "Mandarin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "wú wéi niúhòu"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Tongyong-Pinyin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "níng wéi jikǒu"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Tongyong-Pinyin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "wú wéi nióuhòu"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Wade-Giles"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "ning² wei² chi¹-kʻou³"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Wade-Giles"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "wu² wei² niu²-hou⁴"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Yale"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "níng wéi jī-kǒu-"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Yale"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "wú wéi nyóu-hòu"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Gwoyeu-Romatsyh",
        "Mandarin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "ning wei jikoou"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Gwoyeu-Romatsyh",
        "Mandarin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "wu wei niouhow"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Palladius"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "нин вэй цзикоу"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Palladius"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "у вэй нюхоу"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Palladius"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "nin vɛj czikou"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Palladius"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "u vɛj njuxou"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/niŋ³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ kʰoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ ni̯oʊ̯³⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹/",
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Sinological-IPA"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/niŋ³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ kʰoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ ni̯oʊ̯³⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "寧為雞口，無為牛後"
}

{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "ja",
            "2": "",
            "bor": "1"
          },
          "expansion": "→ Japanese:",
          "name": "desc"
        },
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "鶏口となるも牛後となるなかれ",
            "2": "けいこう となるも ぎゅうご となるなかれ"
          },
          "expansion": "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)",
          "name": "ja-r"
        },
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "calque"
          },
          "expansion": "(calque)",
          "name": "q"
        }
      ],
      "text": "→ 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)"
    },
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "vi",
            "2": "Thà làm đầu gà, hơn làm đuôi trâu",
            "bor": "1"
          },
          "expansion": "→ Vietnamese: Thà làm đầu gà, hơn làm đuôi trâu",
          "name": "desc"
        },
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "calque"
          },
          "expansion": "(calque)",
          "name": "q"
        }
      ],
      "text": "→ Vietnamese: Thà làm đầu gà, hơn làm đuôi trâu (calque)"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_examples": [
    {
      "english": "(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?”",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Classical Chinese",
        "Traditional Chinese"
      ],
      "ref": " Zhanguo Ce, circa 5ᵗʰ – 3ʳᵈ centuries BCE",
      "roman": "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?",
      "tags": [
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "text": "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？",
      "type": "quote"
    },
    {
      "english": "(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?”",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Classical Chinese",
        "Simplified Chinese"
      ],
      "ref": " Zhanguo Ce, circa 5ᵗʰ – 3ʳᵈ centuries BCE",
      "roman": "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?",
      "tags": [
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "text": "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？",
      "type": "quote"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Quoted from Su Qin's speech to King Xuanhui of Han, persuading him to unite with other states to fight against Qin",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "寧爲鷄口，無爲牛後",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Traditional Chinese"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "宁为鸡口，无为牛后",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Simplified Chinese"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "寧為雞口，不為牛後"
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "zh",
        "2": "proverb"
      },
      "expansion": "寧為雞口，無為牛後",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Chinese",
  "lang_code": "zh",
  "literal_meaning": "Better be the beak of a chicken (smaller but cleaner) than the arse of an ox (bigger but dirtier)",
  "pos": "proverb",
  "related": [
    {
      "roman": "nìng wéi jītóu, bù zuò fèngwěi",
      "word": "寧為雞頭，不做鳳尾 / 宁为鸡头，不做凤尾"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Chinese entries with incorrect language header",
        "Chinese lemmas",
        "Chinese proverbs",
        "Chinese terms spelled with 口",
        "Chinese terms spelled with 寧",
        "Chinese terms spelled with 後",
        "Chinese terms spelled with 為",
        "Chinese terms spelled with 無",
        "Chinese terms spelled with 牛",
        "Chinese terms spelled with 雞",
        "Chinese terms with IPA pronunciation",
        "Literary Chinese terms with quotations",
        "Mandarin lemmas",
        "Mandarin proverbs",
        "Mandarin terms with quotations",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Requests for translations of Mandarin usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "raw_tags": [
            "Written Vernacular Chinese",
            "Traditional Chinese"
          ],
          "ref": " Shi Nai'an, Water Margin, circa 14ᵗʰ century CE",
          "roman": "Chéngchí jiāngù, liángcǎo fēngzú, shàng kě zhànshǒu. Gǔyǔ yǒu yún: ‘Níngwèijīkǒu, wúwèiniúhòu’.",
          "tags": [
            "Pinyin"
          ],
          "text": "城池堅固，糧草豐足，尚可戰守。古語有云：『寧為雞口，無為牛後』。",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "raw_tags": [
            "Written Vernacular Chinese",
            "Simplified Chinese"
          ],
          "ref": " Shi Nai'an, Water Margin, circa 14ᵗʰ century CE",
          "roman": "Chéngchí jiāngù, liángcǎo fēngzú, shàng kě zhànshǒu. Gǔyǔ yǒu yún: ‘Níngwèijīkǒu, wúwèiniúhòu’.",
          "tags": [
            "Pinyin"
          ],
          "text": "城池坚固，粮草丰足，尚可战守。古语有云：『宁为鸡口，无为牛后』。",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "It is better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "big fish in a small pond",
          "big fish in a small pond"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) It is better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "King Xuanhui of Han",
        "Qin (state)",
        "Su Qin"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "níng wéi jīkǒu"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "wú wéi niúhòu"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "bopomofo"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "ㄋㄧㄥˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄐㄧ ㄎㄡˇ"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "bopomofo"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "ㄨˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄏㄡˋ"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hanyu-Pinyin",
        "Mandarin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "níng wéi jīkǒu"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hanyu-Pinyin",
        "Mandarin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "wú wéi niúhòu"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Tongyong-Pinyin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "níng wéi jikǒu"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Tongyong-Pinyin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "wú wéi nióuhòu"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Wade-Giles"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "ning² wei² chi¹-kʻou³"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Wade-Giles"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "wu² wei² niu²-hou⁴"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Yale"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "níng wéi jī-kǒu-"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Yale"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "wú wéi nyóu-hòu"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Gwoyeu-Romatsyh",
        "Mandarin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "ning wei jikoou"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Gwoyeu-Romatsyh",
        "Mandarin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "wu wei niouhow"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Palladius"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "нин вэй цзикоу"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Palladius"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "у вэй нюхоу"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Palladius"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "nin vɛj czikou"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Palladius"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "u vɛj njuxou"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/niŋ³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ kʰoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ ni̯oʊ̯³⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹/",
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Sinological-IPA"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/niŋ³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ kʰoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ ni̯oʊ̯³⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹/"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "roman": "jīkǒuniúhòu",
      "word": "雞口牛後"
    },
    {
      "roman": "jīkǒuniúhòu",
      "word": "鸡口牛后"
    }
  ],
  "word": "寧為雞口，無為牛後"
}