Difference between revisions of "Expressing "rather than..." with "yuqi... buru""

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Just like any other language, Chinese has many ways of expressing preference. One of the ways is to use the 与其...宁可(yǔqí...nìngkě), and other similar variations.
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Just like any other language, Chinese has many ways of expressing preference. One of the common ways is to use the 与其...不如(yǔqí...bùrú), and other similar variations.  
  
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== Structure with 与其...不如 ==
  
== Structure with 与其...宁可 ==
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When a speaker uses 与其...不如(yǔqí...bùrú) to express "Prefer...rather than", he is choosing B over A. You can also add an optional 还, 倒, 真 before the 不如.
 
 
与其...宁可 expresses preference by making a comparison. In this grammar pattern,the first option (A) is rejected, and the second option (B) is taken. This is like saying "in comparison to A, I would rather B." You can also swap out the 宁可 for 你愿 or 宁肯, which have the same meaning.  
 
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
  
与其 + A,宁可(宁愿,宁肯)+ B
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与其 + A,不如 + B
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
 
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===Examples===
=== Examples ===
 
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
* 对待 工作,<em>与其</em> 看得 容易 些,<em>宁可</em> 看得 困难 些。
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* <em>与其</em> 这样 等着,<em>不如</em> 找点 事 做做。
* 去 市区,<em>与其</em> 开车 过去,<em>宁愿</em> 坐 地铁 过去。
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* <em>与其</em> 你 去,还<em>不如</em> 我 去,我 对 那边的 情况 更 了解。
* 周末,<em>与其</em> 在家里 宅着,<em>宁愿</em> 和 朋友 一起 逛街。
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* 天气 这么 好,<em>与其</em> 在家里 看 电视,<em>不如</em> 去 野餐。
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
== Structure with 与其...不如 ==
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== Expressing an objective observation with 与其说...不如说 ==
  
You can also use 与其...不如 to express a similar concept. Just like the above pattern, the speaker is choosing B over A. You can also add an optional 还, , 真 before the 不如.
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In this structure, the speaker is basically saying the same thing, but actually using it with the verb 说. It expresses an objective judgment or evaluation, and according to the speaker, the latter part (B) is more correct or accurate than the earlier part (A).
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
  
与其 + A,不如 + B
+
与其说+A,不如说+B
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
 
  
 
===Examples===
 
===Examples===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
* <em>与其</em> 这样 等着,<em>不如</em> 找点 事 做做。
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* 他 的 话,<em>与其说</em> 是 鼓励,<em>不如说</em> 是 责备。
* <em>与其</em> 你 去,还<em>不如</em> 我 去,我 对 那边的 情况 更 了解。
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* <em>与其说</em> 你 没 学 好,倒 <em>不如说</em> 没 教 好。
* 天气 这么 好,<em>与其</em> 在家里 看 电视,<em>不如</em> 去 野炊。
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* 他的 学习 成绩 有所 下降,<em>与其说</em> 老师 同学 对他 的 帮助 不够,<em>不如说</em> 他 自己 努力 得 不够。
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
== Expressing an objective observation with 与其说...不如说 ==
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== Structure with 与其...宁可 ==
  
I this last structure, the speaker is basically saying the same thing, but actually using it with the verb 说. It expresses an objective judgment or evaluation, and according to the speaker, the latter part (B) is more correct or accurate than the earlier part (A).
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与其...宁可(yǔqí...nìngkě) expresses preference by making a comparison. In this grammar pattern,the first option (A) is rejected, and the second option (B) is taken. This is like saying "in comparison to A, I would rather B." You can also swap out the 宁可 for 你愿 or 宁肯, which have the same meaning.  
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
  
与其说+A,不如说+B
+
与其 + A,宁可(宁愿,宁肯)+ B
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
  
===Examples===
+
=== Examples ===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
* <em>与其说</em> 是 鼓励,<em>不如说</em> 是 责备。
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* <em>与其</em> 大家 都 倒霉,<em>宁可</em> 我 一 个 人 承担 这 个 责任。
* <em>与其说</em> 你 没 学 好,倒 <em>不如说</em> 说 我 没 教 好。
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* 去 市区 的话,<em>与其</em> 开车 过去,我 <em>宁愿</em> 坐 地铁 过去。
* 他的 学习 成绩 有所 下降,<em>与其说</em> 老师 同学 对他 的 帮助 不够,<em>不如说</em> 他 自己 努力 不够。
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* 周末,<em>与其</em> 在家里 宅着,<em>宁愿</em> 和 朋友 一起 去 逛街。
 
</div>
 
</div>
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== Sources  and further reading ==
 
== Sources  and further reading ==
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[[Category: C1 grammar points]]
 
[[Category: C1 grammar points]]
{{Basic Grammar|与|C1|与其 + A,宁可(宁愿,宁肯)+ B|去 市区,<em>与其</em> 开车 过去,<em>宁愿</em> 坐 地铁 过去。|grammar point|ASGWI5CV}}
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{{Basic Grammar|与|C1|与其 + A,宁可(宁愿,宁肯)+ B|<em>与其</em> 这样 等着,<em>不如</em> 找点 事 做做。|grammar point|ASGWI5CV}}
 
{{Rel char|与其}}
 
{{Rel char|与其}}
 
{{Rel char|宁可}}
 
{{Rel char|宁可}}
 
{{POS|Sentence patterns}}
 
{{POS|Sentence patterns}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing preference}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing preference}}

Revision as of 02:10, 3 June 2013

Just like any other language, Chinese has many ways of expressing preference. One of the common ways is to use the 与其...不如(yǔqí...bùrú), and other similar variations.

Structure with 与其...不如

When a speaker uses 与其...不如(yǔqí...bùrú) to express "Prefer...rather than", he is choosing B over A. You can also add an optional 还, 倒, 真 before the 不如.

与其 + A,不如 + B

Examples

  • 与其 这样 等着,不如 找点 事 做做。
  • 与其 你 去,还不如 我 去,我 对 那边的 情况 更 了解。
  • 天气 这么 好,与其 在家里 看 电视,不如 去 野餐。

Expressing an objective observation with 与其说...不如说

In this structure, the speaker is basically saying the same thing, but actually using it with the verb 说. It expresses an objective judgment or evaluation, and according to the speaker, the latter part (B) is more correct or accurate than the earlier part (A).

与其说+A,不如说+B

Examples

  • 他 的 话,与其说 是 鼓励,不如说 是 责备。
  • 与其说 你 没 学 好,倒 不如说 说 我 没 教 好。
  • 他的 学习 成绩 有所 下降,与其说 老师 同学 对他 的 帮助 不够,不如说 他 自己 努力 得 不够。

Structure with 与其...宁可

与其...宁可(yǔqí...nìngkě) expresses preference by making a comparison. In this grammar pattern,the first option (A) is rejected, and the second option (B) is taken. This is like saying "in comparison to A, I would rather B." You can also swap out the 宁可 for 你愿 or 宁肯, which have the same meaning.

与其 + A,宁可(宁愿,宁肯)+ B


Examples

  • 与其 大家 都 倒霉,宁可 我 一 个 人 承担 这 个 责任。
  • 去 市区 的话,与其 开车 过去,我 宁愿 坐 地铁 过去。
  • 周末,与其 在家里 宅着,宁愿 和 朋友 一起 去 逛街。


Sources and further reading

Books

HSK6