鶏口となるも牛後となる勿れ

けいこうとなるもぎゅうごとなるなかれ

鶏口となるも牛後となるなかれ

鶏口となるも牛後となるなかれ

Entry Discussion Citations Language Download PDF Watch Edit Japanese edit Kanji in this term 鶏 口 牛 後 けい Grade: S こう Grade: 1 ぎゅう Grade: 2 ご Grade: 2 Alternative spellings 鷄口となるも牛後となるなかれ (kyūjitai) 鶏口となるも牛後となる勿れ Etymology edit Calque of Literary Chinese 寧為雞口，無為牛後／宁为鸡口，无为牛后 (literally “Better be the head of a chicken than the tail of an ox”). Originally read as 寧ろ鶏口となるも牛後となる勿れ. The initial 寧ろ is redundant in Japanese and therefore omitted.

Proverb edit 鶏けい口こうとなるも牛ぎゅう後ごとなるなかれ • (keikō to naru mo gyūgo to naru nakare)

It is better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond.

See also

鶏口牛後けいこうぎゅうご (keikōgyūgo)

Sources :

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E9%B6%8F%E5%8F%A3%E7%89%9B%E5%BE%8C#Japanese