1. Home
  2. Grammar Points
  3. Expressing "rather than..." with 与其...不如 ("yu2qi2... bu4ru2")

Expressing "rather than..." with 与其...不如 ("yu2qi2... bu4ru2")

与其 yúqǐ bùrú

Sentence patterns
HSK 5

Structure

与其 ⋯⋯ ，不如 ⋯⋯ 与其 ⋯⋯ ，Subj. + 宁可 / 宁愿 ⋯⋯ 与其说 + A，不如说 + B

Definition

表示选择或比较，强调前者不如后者，通常用于表达在两种可能性中更倾向于后者。

Expresses a choice or comparison, emphasizing that the former is not as good as the latter, often used to indicate a preference for the latter among two options.

Usage

常用于两个选项之间的比较，结构为“与其A，不如B”，其中A是被否定的选项，B是被推荐的选项。可以连接动词短语或名词短语。

Commonly used for comparison between two options, structured as 'yu2qi2 A, bu4ru2 B', where A is the rejected option and B is the recommended option. It can connect verb phrases or noun phrases.

Examples

  • 1 与其坐公交车，不如骑自行车去上班。 (Rather than taking the bus, it's better to ride a bike to work.)
  • 2 与其在家里看电视，不如出去散步。 (Rather than watching TV at home, it's better to go for a walk.)
  • 3 与其买便宜货，不如买质量好的。 (Rather than buying cheap goods, it's better to buy quality ones.)
  • 4 与其等待机会，不如主动创造机会。 (Rather than waiting for opportunities, it's better to actively create them.)
  • 5 与其抱怨过去，不如努力改变未来。 (Rather than complaining about the past, it's better to strive to change the future.)
  • 6 与其一个人做，不如大家一起合作。 (Rather than doing it alone, it's better to cooperate together.)

Put it into practice

Exam-style HSK drills with instant scoring and explanations.

Find my HSK level

Free · about 3 minutes · no account needed