Word: 宁 (níng, nìng)

宁为太平犬，莫作离乱人

nìng wéi tàipíng quǎn, mò zuò líluàn rén

better a dog in peacetime than a person in a time of chaos

宁养一条龙，不养十只熊

nìng yǎng yìtiáolóng, bù yǎng shí zhī Xióng

better to raise one dragon than ten bears

宁吃过头饭，莫说过头话

nìng chī guòtóu fàn, mò shuō guòtóuhuà

better to overeat than to overstate

宁吃鲜桃儿一口，不吃烂杏儿一筐

níng chī xiān táo ér yìkǒu, bùchī làn xìng ér yì kuāng

better one bite of a fresh peach than a basket of rotten apricots

宁在人前全不会，不在人前会不全

nìng zài rén qián quán búhuì, bú zài rén qián huì bù quán

better to say you know nothing before others than to know things only partially

宁失一人喜，不结千人怨

nìng shī yì rén xǐ, bù jié qiān rén yuàn

better to lose one person's pleasure than earn a thousand people's resentment

宁弃千军，不弃寸地

nìng qì qiān jūn, bú qì cùn dì

better to lose a thousand troops than give up an inch of land

宁当有日筹无日，莫待无时思有时

níng dāng yǒu rì chóu wú rì, mò dài wú shí sī yǒushí

better to plan in days of plenty for days of none, than to recall plenty when there is none

宁当鸡头，不做凤尾

níng dāng jītóu, bú zuò Fèngwěi

better to be a chicken's head than a phoenix's tail

宁拆七座庙，不破一门婚

nìng chāi qī zuò miào, bú pò yìmén hūn

better to tear down seven temples than to break up one marriage

宁撞金钟一下，不打铙钹三千

nìng zhuàng jīnzhōng yíxià, bù dǎ náobó sānqiān

better to strike the golden bell once than clash the cymbals three thousand times

宁治十男子，莫治一妇人；宁治十妇人，莫治一小儿

níng zhì shí nánzǐ, mò zhì yí fùrén; níng zhì shí fùrén, mò zhì yì xiǎor

better to treat ten men than one woman; better to treat ten women than one child

宁绕十步远，不走一步险

nìng rào shí bù yuǎn, bù zǒu yíbù xiǎn

better to detour ten steps than walk one dangerous step

宁给饥人一口，不送富人一斗

nìng gěi jī rén yìkǒu, bú sòng fùrén yì dǒu

better to give a hungry person a mouthful than to send a rich man a bushel

宁舍千亩地，不吃哑巴亏

nìng shě qiānmǔ dì, bù chīyǎbakuī

better to give up a thousand mu of land than swallow a dumb man's loss

宁跟明白人打一架，不跟糊涂人说句话

nìng gēn míngbáirén dǎ yí jià, bù gēn hútu rén shuō jù huà

better to fight a sensible person than say a word to a muddled one

宁进一步死，毋退一尺生

nìng jìnyíbù sǐ, wú tuì yìchǐ shēng

better to die a step forward than to live a foot back