Chinese idiom · 成语
宁为玉碎
Meaning
Rather be shattered jade; to die honorably than live in shame.
Character by character
Origin and story
Historical accountThe Book of Northern Qi (北齐书), in Yuan Jing'an's biography, describes a threat to descendants of the former Wei ruling house. As close imperial relatives were being killed, some distant members discussed seeking the new rulers' surname, Gao. Yuan Jinghao objected to abandoning their lineage. He declared that a man should prefer shattered jade to an intact tile.
Yuan Jing'an reported his words to the emperor, and Jinghao was arrested and executed. The source uses 宁可玉碎，不能瓦全; 宁为玉碎 is a later equivalent, often completed by 不为瓦全. The valued jade versus ordinary tile image expresses refusal of dishonorable compromise, even at great cost. It is a grave statement of principle, not casual advice to invite harm.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
面对造假要求，他表示宁为玉碎，不为瓦全，宁愿辞职也不肯签字。
Asked to falsify records, he said he would rather lose his job than compromise his integrity, and refused to sign.
Strong literary language for refusing dishonorable compromise; figurative here.