Expressing "would rather" with "ningke"
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Level
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Similar to
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Used for
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Keywords
宁可 is used where the speaker wants to compare two unfavorable options, and choose a "unfavorable option" over a "most unfavorable option". 和“宁愿”相同。
Contents
Structure
First of all，“宁可”可以单独用，用在以下结构中：
Subject + 宁可 + something you prefer
Example
- 我 不 想 吃 肯德基，我 宁可 不 吃饭。
- 这 个 地方 太 脏 了，我 宁可 没 地方 住。
Structure
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.
Example
- 他 宁可 没有 朋友，也不 乱 交 朋友。
- 我 宁可 得 癌症，也不 戒烟。
Structure
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.
Example
- 与其 去 求 别人，我 宁可 自食其力。
- 与其 失去 双腿，我 宁可 保守 治疗。
Structure
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"
Example
- 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。
- 我 宁可 死 也 不 愿 放弃 ！
