寧為太平犬，不做亂世人

Chinese

		peaceful; rather; Ningxia (abbrev.)	because of; for; to because of; for; to; act as; take...to be; to be; to do; to serve as; to become	peaceful and tranquil; peace and tranquility	dog		not; no	to do; to make; to produce	unsettled and chaotic times	man; person; people
trad. (寧為太平犬，不做亂世人/寧爲太平犬，不做亂世人)		寧	為/爲	太平	犬	，	不	做	亂世	人
simp. (宁为太平犬，不做乱世人)		宁	为	太平	犬	，	不	做	乱世	人
Literally: “better to be a dog in times of peace than a man in times of chaos.”

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• May you live in interesting times (English)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): nìng wéi tàipíng quǎn, bù zuò luànshì rén, níng wéi tàipíng quǎn, bù zuò luànshì rén

  (Zhuyin): ㄋㄧㄥˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄊㄞˋ ㄆㄧㄥˊ ㄑㄩㄢˇ , ㄅㄨˋ ㄗㄨㄛˋ ㄌㄨㄢˋ ㄕˋ ㄖㄣˊ, ㄋㄧㄥˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄊㄞˋ ㄆㄧㄥˊ ㄑㄩㄢˇ , ㄅㄨˋ ㄗㄨㄛˋ ㄌㄨㄢˋ ㄕˋ ㄖㄣˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ning⁴ wai⁴ taai³ peng⁴ hyun², bat¹ zou⁶ lyun⁶ sai³ jan⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese, Mainland)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: nìng wéi tàipíng quǎn, bù zuò luànshì rén [Phonetic: nìng wéi tàipíng quǎn, bú zuò luànshì rén]
    • Zhuyin: ㄋㄧㄥˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄊㄞˋ ㄆㄧㄥˊ ㄑㄩㄢˇ , ㄅㄨˋ ㄗㄨㄛˋ ㄌㄨㄢˋ ㄕˋ ㄖㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: nìng wéi tàipíng cyuǎn, bù zuò luànshìh rén
    • Wade–Giles: ning⁴ wei² tʻai⁴-pʻing² chʻüan³, pu⁴ tso⁴ luan⁴-shih⁴ jên²
    • Yale: nìng wéi tài-píng chywǎn-, bù dzwò lwàn-shr̀ rén
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ninq wei taypyng cheuan, bu tzuoh luannshyh ren
    • Palladius: нин вэй тайпин цюань, бу цзо луаньши жэнь (nin vɛj tajpin cjuanʹ, bu czo luanʹši žɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /niŋ⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ tʰaɪ̯⁵¹ pʰiŋ³⁵ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡su̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ lu̯än⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ʐən³⁵/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, Taiwan)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: níng wéi tàipíng quǎn, bù zuò luànshì rén [Phonetic: níng wéi tàipíng quǎn, bú zuò luànshì rén]
    • Zhuyin: ㄋㄧㄥˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄊㄞˋ ㄆㄧㄥˊ ㄑㄩㄢˇ , ㄅㄨˋ ㄗㄨㄛˋ ㄌㄨㄢˋ ㄕˋ ㄖㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: níng wéi tàipíng cyuǎn, bù zuò luànshìh rén
    • Wade–Giles: ning² wei² tʻai⁴-pʻing² chʻüan³, pu⁴ tso⁴ luan⁴-shih⁴ jên²
    • Yale: níng wéi tài-píng chywǎn-, bù dzwò lwàn-shr̀ rén
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ning wei taypyng cheuan, bu tzuoh luannshyh ren
    • Palladius: нин вэй тайпин цюань, бу цзо луаньши жэнь (nin vɛj tajpin cjuanʹ, bu czo luanʹši žɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /niŋ³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ tʰaɪ̯⁵¹ pʰiŋ³⁵ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡su̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ lu̯än⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ʐən³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ning⁴ wai⁴ taai³ peng⁴ hyun², bat¹ zou⁶ lyun⁶ sai³ jan⁴
    • Yale: nìhng wàih taai pèhng hyún, bāt jouh lyuhn sai yàhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ning⁴ wai⁴ taai³ peng⁴ hyn², bat⁷ dzou⁶ lyn⁶ sai³ jan⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: ning⁴ wei⁴ tai³ péng⁴ hün², bed¹ zou⁶ lün⁶ sei³ yen⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /nɪŋ²¹ wɐi̯²¹ tʰaːi̯³³ pʰɛːŋ²¹ hyːn³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ t͡sou̯²² lyːn²² sɐi̯³³ jɐn²¹/

Proverb

寧為太平犬，不做亂世人

1. One should accept reduced freedom in times of peace than being fully free in times of chaos.

Synonyms

• 寧為太平犬，莫作亂離人／宁为太平犬，莫作乱离人
• 寧為太平犬，不為亂世人／宁为太平犬，不为乱世人