Difference between revisions of "Expressing "would rather" with "ningke""
 
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宁可 is where the speaker wants to chose the better of two unfavorable situations, often to emphasize the speakers determination, or sometimes lack of care for what others think.
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{{Grammar Box}}
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宁可 (nìngkě) is used when the speaker wants to compare two unfavorable options, and choose one over the other. We usually express this as "would rather... than..." in English.
  
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== Using 宁可 with 也不 ==
  
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宁可 can be used in several constructions, and can be a little bit confusing.
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=== Structure ===
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This construction puts 宁可 at the beginning of the sentence followed by 也不. 宁可 is followed by the less unfavorable option and 也不 is followed by the most unfavorable option.
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
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与其 + very bad option + 宁可 + bad option
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宁可⋯⋯ ，也不⋯⋯
 
</div>
 
</div>
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Here, the speaker is choosing the better of two unfavorable situations.
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=== Examples ===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
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* <em>与其</em>依靠家人，我<em>宁可</em>自食其力。
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*我 <em>宁可</em> 没有 男朋友 ，<em>也 不</em> 要 随便 找 一 个 男朋友 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>nìngkě</em> méiyǒu nán péngyǒu, <em>yě bù</em> yào suíbiàn zhǎo yī gè nánpéngyǒu.</span><span class="trans">I'd rather have no boyfriend than find a random one.</span>
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* <em>与其</em>失去自由，我<em>宁可</em>自杀。
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*我们 <em>宁可</em> 早到 <em>也 不</em> 要 迟到 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>nìngkě</em> zǎo dào <em>yě bù</em> yào chídào.</span><span class="trans">We'd rather arrive early than late.</span>
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*他 <em>宁可</em> 输 ，<em>也 不</em> 放弃 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>nìngkě</em> shū, <em>yě bù</em> fàngqì.</span><span class="trans">He'd rather lose than give up.</span>
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*我 <em>宁可</em> 这个 月 少 花 一点 ，<em>也 不</em> 找 父母 要 钱 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>nìngkě</em> zhège yuè shǎo huā yīdiǎn, <em>yě bù</em> zhǎo fùmǔ yào qián.</span><span class="trans">I'd rather spend less money this month than ask my parents for money.</span>
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*妈妈 <em>宁可</em> 把 这些 东西 送 给 陌生人 ，<em>也 不</em> 扔掉 。<span class="pinyin">Māma <em>nìngkě</em> bǎ zhèxiē dōngxi sòng gěi mòshēngrén, <em>yě bù</em> rēngdiào.</span><span class="trans">Mom would rather give these things to strangers than throw them away.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
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== Using 宁可 with 也要 ==
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In this construction 宁可 is used a little differently. 宁可 is followed by unfavorable actions while 也要 is followed by things that you desire or something that you intend to achieve.
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=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
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宁可 + bad option + 也不 very bad option
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宁可 ⋯⋯ ，也要 ⋯⋯
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</div>
 
</div>
  
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Again, the speaker is choosing between two options, but they are the reverse of above.  
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Here the speaker must pay a price in order to complete or gain something, a bit like "even though X, I'm still willing to do Y."
  
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Some examples:
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=== Examples ===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
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* 我<em>宁可</em>遭受酷刑，<em>也不</em>要给敌人任何情报。
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* 我<em>宁可</em>得癌症，<em>也不</em>要戒烟。
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*我 <em>宁可</em> 熬夜 <em>也 要</em> 做完 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>nìngkě</em> áoyè <em>yě yào</em> zuò wán.</span><span class="trans">I'd rather stay up tonight just to finish it.</span>
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*孩子们 <em>宁可</em> 不 吃饭 ，<em>也 要</em> 多 玩 一会儿 。<span class="pinyin">Háizimen <em>nìngkě</em> bù chīfàn, <em>yě yào</em> duō wán yīhuǐr.</span><span class="trans">The kids would rather not eat just to play a little longer.</span>
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*他 <em>宁可</em> 和 女朋友 分手 ，<em>也 要</em> 留 在 国外 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>nìngkě</em> hé nǚpéngyǒu fēnshǒu, <em>yě yào</em> liú zài guówài.</span><span class="trans">He would rather break up with his girlfriend just to stay abroad.</span>
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*她 <em>宁可</em> 花 一半 的 工资 租 房子 ，<em>也 要</em> 一个人 住 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>nìngkě</em> huā yībàn de gōngzī zū fángzi, <em>yě yào</em> yī gè rén zhù.</span><span class="trans">She would rather spend half of her salary just to live alone.</span>
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*我 <em>宁可</em> 坐 三十 个 小时 的 硬座 ，<em>也 要</em> 回 老家。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>nìngkě</em> zuò sānshí gè xiǎoshí de yìngzuò, <em>yě yào</em> huí lǎojiā.</span><span class="trans">I would rather sit in a hard seat for 30 hours if I can get home.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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<div class="jiegou">
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== Sources and further reading ==
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宁可 + ‘cost’ + 也要 + the thing the speaker wishes to gain.
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</div>
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=== Books ===
  
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Here the speaker must pay a price in order to complete or gain something, a bit like "even though X, I'm still willing to do Y"
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{{Source|Boya Chinese Upper Intermediate 1 (博雅汉语中级冲刺篇)|196}}
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{{Source|New Practical Chinese Reader 5 (新实用汉语课本5)|180}}
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{{Source|卓越汉语－公司实战篇|84, 99}}
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{{Source|HSK Standard Course 5上|145}}
  
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<div class="liju">
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[[Category: B2 grammar points]]
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* 我<em>宁可</em>几天不睡觉，<em>也要</em>完成这个项目。
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{{Basic Grammar|宁可|B2|宁可⋯⋯，也⋯⋯|他 <em>宁可</em> 输，<em>也</em> 不 放弃。|grammar point|ASGF3F2Y}}
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* 我<em>宁可</em>把所有的存款都给花光，<em>也要</em>环球旅行。
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{{Used for|Giving alternatives}}
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</div>
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{{Similar|Expressing "rather than..." with "yuqi... buru"}}
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{{Similar|Comparisons with "buru"}}
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{{Structure|Sentence Patterns}}

Latest revision as of 02:45, 18 January 2021

宁可 (nìngkě) is used when the speaker wants to compare two unfavorable options, and choose one over the other. We usually express this as "would rather... than..." in English.

Using 宁可 with 也不

Structure

This construction puts 宁可 at the beginning of the sentence followed by 也不. 宁可 is followed by the less unfavorable option and 也不 is followed by the most unfavorable option.

宁可⋯⋯ ，也不⋯⋯

Examples

  • 我 宁可 没有 男朋友 ，也 不 要 随便 找 一 个 男朋友 。Wǒ nìngkě méiyǒu nán péngyǒu, yě bù yào suíbiàn zhǎo yī gè nánpéngyǒu.I'd rather have no boyfriend than find a random one.
  • 我们 宁可 早到 也 不 要 迟到 。Wǒmen nìngkě zǎo dào yě bù yào chídào.We'd rather arrive early than late.
  • 他 宁可 输 ，也 不 放弃 。Tā nìngkě shū, yě bù fàngqì.He'd rather lose than give up.
  • 我 宁可 这个 月 少 花 一点 ，也 不 找 父母 要 钱 。Wǒ nìngkě zhège yuè shǎo huā yīdiǎn, yě bù zhǎo fùmǔ yào qián.I'd rather spend less money this month than ask my parents for money.
  • 妈妈 宁可 把 这些 东西 送 给 陌生人 ，也 不 扔掉 。Māma nìngkě bǎ zhèxiē dōngxi sòng gěi mòshēngrén, yě bù rēngdiào.Mom would rather give these things to strangers than throw them away.

Using 宁可 with 也要

In this construction 宁可 is used a little differently. 宁可 is followed by unfavorable actions while 也要 is followed by things that you desire or something that you intend to achieve.

Structure

宁可 ⋯⋯ ，也要 ⋯⋯

Here the speaker must pay a price in order to complete or gain something, a bit like "even though X, I'm still willing to do Y."

Examples

  • 我 宁可 熬夜 也 要 做完 。Wǒ nìngkě áoyè yě yào zuò wán.I'd rather stay up tonight just to finish it.
  • 孩子们 宁可 不 吃饭 ，也 要 多 玩 一会儿 。Háizimen nìngkě bù chīfàn, yě yào duō wán yīhuǐr.The kids would rather not eat just to play a little longer.
  • 他 宁可 和 女朋友 分手 ，也 要 留 在 国外 。Tā nìngkě hé nǚpéngyǒu fēnshǒu, yě yào liú zài guówài.He would rather break up with his girlfriend just to stay abroad.
  • 她 宁可 花 一半 的 工资 租 房子 ，也 要 一个人 住 。Tā nìngkě huā yībàn de gōngzī zū fángzi, yě yào yī gè rén zhù.She would rather spend half of her salary just to live alone.
  • 我 宁可 坐 三十 个 小时 的 硬座 ，也 要 回 老家。Wǒ nìngkě zuò sānshí gè xiǎoshí de yìngzuò, yě yào huí lǎojiā.I would rather sit in a hard seat for 30 hours if I can get home.

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK5
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