<!DOCTYPE html> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta name="generator" content= "HTML Tidy for HTML5 for Linux version 5.2.0" /> <title></title> </head> <body> <p>宁可 (nìngkě) is used where the speaker wants to compare two unfavorable options, and choose a "unfavorable option" over a "most unfavorable option."</p> <h2 id="using-宁可-with-也不">Using 宁可 with 也不</h2> <h3 id="structure">Structure</h3> <p>This construction puts 宁可 at the beginning of the sentence followed by 也不. 宁可 is followed by unfavorable option and 也不 is followed by most unfavorable option.</p> <div class="jiegou"> <p>宁可……，也不……</p> </div> <p>Again, the speaker is choosing between two options, but this time places the preferable option first.</p> <h3 id="examples">Examples</h3> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li>我 <em>宁可</em> 没有 男朋友，<em>也不</em> 要 随便 找 一 个 男朋友。<span class= "trans">I'd rather have no boyfriend than find a random one.</span></li> <li>他 <em>宁可</em> 输， <em>也不</em> 想 放弃。<span class="trans">He'd rather lose than give up.</span></li> <li>我 <em>宁可</em> 在 公司 加班，<em>也不</em> 想 把 工作 带 回家。<span class= "trans">I'd rather work late in the office than take my work home.</span></li> <li>他 <em>宁可</em> 每天 吃 方便面，<em>也不</em> 找 父母 要 钱。<span class= "trans">He'd rather eat instant noodles every day than ask his parents for money.</span></li> <li>我 <em>宁可</em> 把 这些 东西 送 给 陌生 人，<em>也不</em> 会 扔掉。<span class= "trans">I'd rather give these old things to strange people than throw it away.</span></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="using-宁可-with-也要">Using 宁可 with 也要</h2> <p>In this construction 宁可 is used a little differently. 宁可 is followed by unfavorable actions while 也要 is followed by things that you desire or something that you intend to achieve.</p> <h3 id="structure-1">Structure</h3> <div class="jiegou"> <p>宁可 ……，也要 ……</p> </div> <p>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."</p> <h3 id="examples-1">Examples</h3> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li>我 <em>宁可</em> 几 天 不 睡觉，<em>也要</em> 完成 这 个 项目。<span class= "trans">I would be willing not to sleep for a few days just to finish this project.</span></li> <li>他们 <em>宁可</em> 花 光 所有 钱，<em>也要</em> 治 好 女儿 的 病。<span class= "trans">They would spend all my money to cure their daughter's disease.</span></li> <li>我们 <em>宁可</em> 多 花 点 钱，<em>也要</em> 解决 这 个 问题。<span class= "trans">We'd rather spend some more money to solve this problem.</span></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="using-宁可-with-与其">Using 宁可 with 与其</h2> <p>For more information, you can click <a href= "Expressing_"Prefer...rather_than"_with_"yuqi...buru"" title="wikilink">与其</a>.</p> <h2 id="see-also">See Also</h2> <h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2> <h3 id="books">Books</h3> <ul> <li><a href= "Boya_Chinese_Upper_Intermediate_1_(%E5%8D%9A%E9%9B%85%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E4%B8%AD%E7%BA%A7%E5%86%B2%E5%88%BA%E7%AF%87)" title="wikilink">Boya Chinese Upper Intermediate 1 (博雅汉语中级冲刺篇)</a> (pp. 196) <a href= "http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7301075316/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=7301075316"> →buy</a></li> <li><a href= "New_Practical_Chinese_Reader_5_(%E6%96%B0%E5%AE%9E%E7%94%A8%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%BE%E6%9C%AC5)" title="wikilink">New Practical Chinese Reader 5 (新实用汉语课本5)</a> (pp. 180) <a href= "http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561914083/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561914083"> →buy</a></li> <li><a href= "%E5%8D%93%E8%B6%8A%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%EF%BC%8D%E5%85%AC%E5%8F%B8%E5%AE%9E%E6%88%98%E7%AF%87" class="uri" title="wikilink">卓越汉语－公司实战篇</a> (pp. 84, 99) <a href= "http://www.amazon.cn/%E5%8D%93%E8%B6%8A%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD-%E5%85%AC%E5%8F%B8%E5%AE%9E%E6%88%98%E7%AF%87-%E8%83%A1%E7%81%B5%E5%9D%87/dp/B003QZWQ6M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347863170&sr=8-1"> →buy</a></li> </ul> <p><a href="Category:_B2_grammar_points" title="wikilink">Category: B2 grammar points</a></p> </body> </html>