Chinese word

与其

Pronunciation

Pinyinyǔ qí

Meaning

  • conjunctionrather than

Example

与其天天抱怨，不如试着改变。yǔ qí tiān tiān bào yuàn bù rú shì zhe gǎi biàn

It is better to try to change rather than complain every day.

Illustration for 与其 (rather than)

More examples

与其急着做决定，不如多想想。yǔ qí jí zhe zuò jué dìng bù rú duō xiáng xiǎng

Rather than rush to make a decision, think it over more.

Core concept

A comparison that shifts attention from a less desirable option to a preferred one.

Common phrases

  • 与其...，不如...yǔ qí bù rú

    rather than ___, it is better to ___

  • 与其说...，不如...yǔ qí shuō bù rú

    rather than say ___, it is better to ___

Similar words

不如bù rú: Marks one action or state as inferior and recommends the option that follows.
还不如hái bù rú: Says that a new choice would be better than continuing with what is already happening.
倒不如dào bù rú: Emphatically advises choosing a preferable alternative instead.

Definition in Chinese

连接两个并列分句，常以“与其A，不如B”出现，用来否定或弱化前项并肯定后项，强调后者更好或更可取。lián jiē liǎng gè bìng liè fēn jù cháng yǐ yǔ qí A bù rú B chū xiàn yòng lái fǒu dìng huò ruò huà qián xiàng bìng kěn dìng hòu xiàng qiáng diào hòu zhě gèng hǎo huò gèng ké qǔ

Word origin

与其 (yǔqí, "rather than") comes from classical Chinese, where 与 (yǔ, "with") + 其 (qí, "that one") introduced the option being compared with another.

Usage tips

  • The first clause commonly presents a situation to avoid and the second gives a better course, so the construction often carries the tone of advice or a practical suggestion in conversation.

Word lists with this word