鶏口となるも牛後となるなかれ

Japanese

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

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

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) 

1. 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)