The New Dictionary.
Search dictionary
Chinese/Dictionary entry

宁做鸡头，不做凤尾

nìng zuò jī tóu , bù zuò fèng wěidictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
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
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-cc8f099c75ddb937. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

寧做雞頭，不做鳳尾 宁做鸡头，不做凤尾 [ning4 zuo4 ji1 tou2 , bu4 zuo4 feng4 wei3] /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/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

Other forms in these source records: 寧做雞頭，不做鳳尾

  • 宁
    zhù

    to store / to stand / space between the door and the entrance screen

    nìng

    would rather / to prefer / how (emphatic) / Taiwan pr. [níng]

    níng

    peaceful / to pacify / to visit (one's parents etc)

    Níng

    abbr. for Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region 寧夏回族自治區|宁夏回族自治区[Níng xià Huí zú Zì zhì qū] / abbr. for Nanjing 南京[Nán jīng] / surname Ning

  • 做
    zuò

    to make; to produce / to write; to compose / to do; to engage in; to hold (a party etc) / (of a person) to be (an intermediary, a good student etc); to become (husband and wife, friends etc) / (of a thing) to serve as; to be used for / to assume (an air or manner)

  • 鸡
    jī

    fowl / chicken / CL:隻|只[zhī] / (slang) prostitute

  • 头
    tóu

    head / hair style / the top / end / beginning or end / a stub / remnant / chief / boss / side / aspect / first / leading / classifier for pigs or livestock / CL:個|个[gè]

    tou

    suffix for nouns

  • 不
    bù

    no; not so / (bound form) not; un-

  • 做
    zuò

    to make; to produce / to write; to compose / to do; to engage in; to hold (a party etc) / (of a person) to be (an intermediary, a good student etc); to become (husband and wife, friends etc) / (of a thing) to serve as; to be used for / to assume (an air or manner)

  • 凤
    fèng

    phoenix

    Fèng

    surname Feng

  • 尾
    wěi

    tail / remainder / remnant / extremity / sixth of the 28 constellations / classifier for fish

    yǐ

    horse's tail / pointed posterior section of a locust etc

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.