宁可
nìngkě
would rather
Part of speech · adverb
Pattern visualization
no decomposition available
Examples
- 他宁可自己吃亏,也不愿欺骗别人。He would rather lose out himself than deceive others.
- 我宁可站着,也不坐那张椅子。I would rather stand than sit in that chair.
Collocations
宁可…也不宁可…也要宁愿宁死不屈
Mnemonic
宁 nìng "rather" + 可 kě "may": "would rather". An adverb expressing a determined choice of the lesser evil. Often "宁可 A, 也不 B" (would rather A than B). Pairs with 与其. Similar to 宁愿.
Related
宁愿与其宁肯情愿
Quick check
What does "宁可 A, 也不 B" mean?