宁愿 (nìng yuàn) — would rather (used to express preference, often in the patterns 宁愿...也不... or 宁愿...还是...?)
Definition
宁愿 (nìng yuàn) means 'would rather,' used to express a clear preference, often in 宁愿…也不… ('would rather… than…'). It is more emphatic than 情愿, which leans toward 'being willing' as a verb.
adverb
would rather (used to express preference, often in the patterns 宁愿...也不... or 宁愿...还是...?)
Examples
- 宁愿。Wǒ nìng yuàn dāi zài jiā lǐ yě bú qù cān jiā nà ge jù huì.I would rather stay home than go to that party.
- 宁愿？Nǐ nìng yuàn hē chá hái shì kā fēi?Would you rather drink tea or coffee?
- 宁愿。Tā nìng yuàn zì jǐ zuò fàn yě bú jiào wài mài.He would rather cook himself than order takeout.
Grammar
Appears in
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