Progressing from characters to words and idioms marks advanced Chinese. This guide freely explains 「雞口牛後」 for your learning.
Today’s spotlight is on the Chinese idiom 「雞口牛後」. You’ll find its explanation and usage below.
I would rather be a small and clean chicken’s beak than a big and smelly cow’s anus. It is a metaphor that one would rather be independent in a small situation than be dominated by others in a big situation.
The Mandarin pronunciation of this idiom is :
jī kǒu niú hòu
while its Cantonese pinyin is :
gai1 hau2 ngau4 hau6
Chinese idioms come in large numbers, with diverse meanings and usages, offering endless learning opportunities. We hope these resources make it easier for you to study Chinese.
