宁为玉碎，不为瓦全

寧為玉碎，不為瓦全
nìngwéiyùsuì,bùwéiwǎquán
  1. Better broken jade than intact tile.
  2. Death is preferable to dishonor. (idiom)

CEDICT

Entry Composition

=1 宁 nìng old variant of 宁 nìng
=1 宁 nìng
  1. would rather
  2. to prefer
  3. how (emphatic)
  4. Taiwan pr. níng
=2 为 wéi
  1. as (in the capacity of)
  2. to take sth as
  3. to act as
  4. to serve as
  5. to behave as
  6. to become
  7. to be
  8. to do
  9. by (in the passive voice)
=2 为 wéi variant of 为 wéi
3 玉碎 yùsuì
  1. (figurative) to die for moral principles, one's ideals or justice
  2. to die for moral principles, one's ideals or justice
4 不为 bùwéi
  1. (literary) to not do
  2. to not do
5 瓦全 wǎquán
  1. (figurative) to live in dishonor
  2. to live in dishonor