English–Chinese
“would rather” in Chinese
How to say “would rather” in Chinese
“Would rather” in Chinese is 宁可 (nìng kě).
A firm choice that accepts one unwanted cost in order to block a worse outcome.
Example sentences with 宁可
他宁可牺牲休息时间，也要完成工作。tā nìng kě xī shēng xiū xī shí jiān yě yào wán chéng gōng zuò
He would rather sacrifice his rest time to finish the work.
Tips for using 宁可
- This word signals a firm trade-off rather than a casual preference, so it often appears when a speaker explains a boundary or accepts extra effort.
Other Chinese words for “would rather”
我宁愿自己做，也不麻烦别人。wǒ nìng yuàn zì jǐ zuò yě bù má fán bié rén
I would rather do it myself than trouble others.