English–Chinese
“rather” in Chinese
How to say “rather” in Chinese
“Rather” in Chinese is 倒是 (dào shì).
A spoken pivot that grants one point, then turns toward a qualifying or contrasting point.
Example sentences with 倒是
他没经验，倒是学得很快。tā méi jīng yàn dào shì xué de hěn kuài
He has no experience, but he learns very quickly.
Tips for using 倒是
- In everyday conversation, this word can make partial disagreement sound less abrupt because the speaker acknowledges something before adding a limitation.
Other Chinese words for “rather”
这不是抱怨，不如说是想帮忙。zhè bú shì bào yuàn bù rú shuō shì xiǎng bāng máng
This is not a complaint; rather, it is a wish to help.