与其…，宁可／宁愿…
rather than A, I would sooner B (the harder choice, made on purpose)
Structure
与其 A（不选的） ， 宁可／宁愿 B（甘愿选的）
What it means
“Rather than A, I would sooner B”: 与其 marks the option you turn down, 宁可／宁愿 the one you take, usually harder or costlier, so it shows resolve.
How it is built
与其 + A (rejected)，(subject) + 宁可／宁愿 + B (chosen): 与其让孩子在补习班里受罪，我宁可让他多睡一会儿 (rather than have him suffer in cram classes, I’d sooner let him sleep).
When to use it
Mostly written or serious speech. Compare 与其…不如… (2-1), which simply weighs which is better, and 宁可…也不… (2-3), where the refused option comes second.
Watch out
Keep the order: the rejected option always follows 与其, the chosen one 宁可／宁愿. In 宁可…也不… it is the other way round, so don’t mix the two frames.
Examples
与其就这样死去，他宁可忍辱负重地活下来，把书写完。
Rather than die like that, he chose to swallow the humiliation and live, to finish the book.
与其在大城市租房过日子，我宁愿回老家踏踏实实地干。
Rather than rent and get by in a big city, I’d sooner go home and work steadily.
与其让孩子在补习班里受罪，我宁可让他多睡一会儿。
Rather than have my child suffer in cram classes, I’d sooner let him sleep a bit longer.
Learn this in Lesson 88 · HSK 6–7: 司马迁与《史记》 (Sima Qian and the Records of the Grand Historian)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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