Writing
宁可 (nìng kě) — how to say "would rather" in Chinese
宁可
Would rather, prefer to
modal adverb
How to use it
Goes before the verb and shows the speaker's attitude.
我宁可在家看书。
wǒ nìng kě zài jiā kàn shū
I'd rather read at home.
Character composition
宁
would rather
可
can, may
Radicals / Keys
口
Mouth
#30 · kǒu · 3 strokes
宀
Roof
#40 · mián · 3 strokes
Synonyms
Collocations
宁可放弃
nìngkě fàngqì
would rather give up
宁可在家
nìngkě zài jiā
would rather stay home
Examples
天气这么热，我宁可待在家里看书，也不想出去晒太阳。
In such hot weather, I would rather stay at home and read than go out in the sun.
我宁可走路。
I would rather walk.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "would rather" in Chinese?
"would rather" in Chinese is 宁可 (nìng kě).
宁可 meaning in English
宁可 (nìng kě) means "Would rather, prefer to".
How is 宁可 pronounced?
It is pronounced nìng kě (written as ning ke, ningke). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "would rather" in Chinese characters?
It is written 宁可: 宁 has 5 strokes, 可 has 5 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.
What HSK level is 宁可?
宁可 belongs to the HSK 5 vocabulary list.
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