Difference between revisions of "Expressing "would rather" with "ningke""
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* <em>与其</em> 依靠 家人，我 <em>宁可</em> 自食其力。 | * <em>与其</em> 依靠 家人，我 <em>宁可</em> 自食其力。 | ||
| − | * <em>与其</em> 失去 | + | * <em>与其</em> 失去 双腿，我 <em>宁可</em> 保守 治疗。 |
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| − | * | + | * 他 <em>宁可</em> 遭受 酷刑，<em>也不</em> 给 敌人 任何 情报。 |
| − | * 我 <em>宁可</em> 得 癌症，<em>也不</em> | + | * 我 <em>宁可</em> 得 癌症，<em>也不</em> 戒烟。 |
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* 我 <em>宁可</em> 几 天 不 睡觉，<em>也要</em> 完成 这个 项目。 | * 我 <em>宁可</em> 几 天 不 睡觉，<em>也要</em> 完成 这个 项目。 | ||
| − | * 我 <em>宁可</em> | + | * 我 <em>宁可</em> 不 买 房，<em>也要</em> 环球 旅行。 |
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Revision as of 08:41, 14 November 2011
宁可 is used where the speaker wants to compare two unfavorable options, and choose a "unfavorable option" over a "most unfavorable option".
First of all, it can be used with 与其 to form the following construction:
与其 + most unfavorable option + 宁可 + unfavorable option
Here, the speaker is choosing the better of two unfavorable situations.
- 与其 依靠 家人，我 宁可 自食其力。
- 与其 失去 双腿，我 宁可 保守 治疗。
The next construction puts 宁可 at the beginning of the sentence:
宁可 + unfavorable option + 也不 most unfavorable option
Again, the speaker is choosing between two options, but they are the reverse of above.
Some examples:
- 他 宁可 遭受 酷刑，也不 给 敌人 任何 情报。
- 我 宁可 得 癌症，也不 戒烟。
In the last construction 宁可 is used a little differently:
宁可 + unfavorable action + 也要 + the thing the speaker wishes to gain.
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"
Some examples:
- 我 宁可 几 天 不 睡觉，也要 完成 这个 项目。
- 我 宁可 不 买 房，也要 环球 旅行。
Sources and further reading
Books
Boya Chinese Upper Intermediate 1（博雅汉语中级冲刺篇) pp.196
