Sentence patternsHSK 6
Expressing "rather than..." with 与其... 不如
Use 与其...不如... to express that one option is preferable over another. The less desirable option comes after 与其, and the better choice after 不如. Note that 不如 here suggests a better course of action, not a comparison of quality.
Structure
与其 + [Option A] ，不如 + [Option B]
不如 in this pattern means 'it's better to' rather than 'not as good as'
Examples
- 与其坐公交车，不如走路去。Yǔqí zuò gōngjiāochē, bùrú zǒulù qù.Rather than taking the bus, it's better to walk.
- 与其在家看电视，不如出去走走。Yǔqí zài jiā kàn diànshì, bùrú chūqù zǒuzou.Rather than staying at home watching TV, it's better to go out for a walk.
- 与其等他们，不如我们先开始。Yǔqí děng tāmen, bùrú wǒmen xiān kāishǐ.Rather than waiting for them, it's better that we start first.
- 与其花钱买这个，不如存起来。Yǔqí huāqián mǎi zhège, bùrú cún qǐlai.Rather than spending money on this, it's better to save it up.
- 与其生气，不如冷静地谈一谈。Yǔqí shēngqì, bùrú lěngjìng de tán yi tán.Rather than getting angry, it's better to talk calmly.