Expressing "would rather" with "ningke"

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宁可 (nìngkě) is used where the speaker wants to compare two unfavorable options, and choose a "unfavorable option" over a "most unfavorable option."

Basic Form

Structure

First of all,宁可 can used alone in the following structure:

Subject + 宁可 + [preferable option]

Examples

  • 我 不 想 吃 肯德基,我 宁可 不 吃饭。I don't want to eat KFC. I would rather just not eat.
  • 这 个 地方 太 脏 了,我 宁可 没 地方 住。This place is extremely dirty. I would rather live somewhere else.

Common Form 1

Structure

This construction puts 宁可 at the beginning of the sentence followed by "也不"

宁可 + unfavorable option + 也不 most unfavorable option

Again, the speaker is choosing between two options, but this time places the preferable option first.

Examples

  • 宁可 没有 朋友,也不 乱 交 朋友。He would rather not have friends than find bad ones.
  • 宁可 得 癌症,也不 戒烟。I would rather have cancer than give up smoking.

It is the same as in the famous saying said by a female guest on the show 非诚勿扰: "我宁愿在宝马里哭,也不愿在自行车上笑."

Common Form 2

Structure

In this 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"

Examples

  • 宁可 几 天 不 睡觉,也要 完成 这个 项目。I would be willing not to sleep for a few days just to finish this project.
  • 宁可 不 买 房,也要 环球 旅行。I would give up buying a house to travel around the world.
  • 宁可 不 愿 放弃 !I would rather die than give up!

Used with 与其

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.

Examples

  • 与其 去 求 别人,我 宁可 自食其力。Instead of depending on other people, I would rather fend for myself.
  • 与其 失去 双腿,我 宁可 保守 治疗。I would rather find the cure than lose both of my legs.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK5