Definition
宁愿 (nìng yuàn) is an adverb meaning 'would rather', used to express a preference, often in the patterns 宁愿...也不... or 宁愿...还是...? It is similar to 宁可 (nìng kě), but 宁可 often emphasizes choosing the lesser of two evils, while 宁愿 is a more neutral preference. 情愿 (qíng yuàn) can be a verb meaning 'to be willing' or an adverb with a stronger sense of readiness to accept a cost, often used in 情愿…也不….
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 cānjiā nà ge jùhuì.I would rather stay home than go to that party.
- 宁愿？Nǐ nìng yuàn hē chá háishì kāfēi?Would you rather drink tea or coffee?
- 宁愿。Tā nìng yuàn zìjǐ zuò fàn yě bú jiào bú wàimài.He would rather cook himself than order takeout.
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