与其

yǔ qí

HSK 6

Meaning

rather than...
與其|与其[yu3 qi2] A 不如[bu4 ru2] B (rather than A, better to B)

Definition

表示在两者之间进行选择时，否定前者，肯定后者，常与“不如”、“宁可”、“毋宁”等连用。

Used to indicate a choice between two options, negating the former and affirming the latter. It is often used with "不如" (it's better to), "宁可" (would rather), or "毋宁" (would rather).

Usage

“与其”通常放在句子的前半部分，引出被否定的选择或行动，后半部分则用“不如”、“宁可”等词引出被肯定的、更好的选择或行动。

“与其” (yǔ qí) is typically placed in the first part of a sentence to introduce the rejected option or action. The second part of the sentence then uses words like “不如” (bù rú), “宁可” (nìng kě), or “毋宁” (wú nìng) to introduce the preferred, better option or action.

Examples

1 与其在这里浪费时间，不如回家休息。(Rather than wasting time here, it's better to go home and rest.)
2 与其盲目跟风，不如有自己的主见。(Rather than blindly following trends, it's better to have your own opinion.)
3 与其抱怨生活，不如努力改变它。(Rather than complaining about life, it's better to work hard to change it.)
4 与其等到问题发生再解决，不如提前预防。(Rather than waiting for problems to occur before solving them, it's better to prevent them in advance.)
5 与其一个人闷着，不如找朋友聊聊。(Rather than being alone and keeping things to oneself, it's better to talk to friends.)
6 与其花钱买奢侈品，不如投资自己的健康和知识。(Rather than spending money on luxury goods, it's better to invest in one's own health and knowledge.)

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