落水的凤凰不如鸡

落水的鳳凰不如雞
luòshuǐdefènghuángbùrújī

an important person that has lost their power or has become down-and-out is even more inferior than common folk.

Wiktionary

Entry Composition

1 落水 luòshuǐ
  1. to fall into water
  2. to sink
  3. overboard
  4. fig. to degenerate
  5. to sink (into depravity)
  6. to go to the dogs
=2 的 de
  1. of; ~'s (possessive particle)
  2. (used after an attribute when it modifies a noun)
  3. (used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis)
  4. (used after a noun, verb or adjective to form a nominal expression, as in 皮革的 pígéde "one made of leather" or 跑堂儿的 pǎotángrde "a waiter (literally, one who runs back and forth in a restaurant)" or 新的 xīnde "new one")
  5. also pr. dì or di in poetry and songs
=2 的 dī a taxi; a cab (abbr. for 的士 dīshì)
=2 的 dí really and truly
=2 的 dì (bound form) bull's-eye; target
=3 凤凰 Fènghuáng see 凤凰县 Fènghuáng Xiàn
=3 凤凰 fènghuáng phoenix
4 不如 bùrú
  1. not equal to; not as good as; inferior to
  2. it would be better to
=5 鸡 jī
  1. fowl
  2. chicken
  3. (slang) prostitute

classifier: 隻
=5 鸡 jī variant of 鸡 jī