宁可…也不 (nìngkě…yě bù)

宁可…也不 is a grammar pattern used to express a strong preference: "would rather [do A] than [do B]," where B is something the speaker strongly wishes to avoid.

Structure

宁可 + [preferred action/state] + 也不 + [rejected action/state]

The pattern expresses that the speaker is willing to accept something difficult or undesirable (the 宁可 clause) in order to avoid something else they consider worse (the 也不 clause). The emphasis is on the strength of the refusal in the 也不 part.

Example Sentences

她宁可一个人生活，也不跟不爱的人结婚。 Tā nìngkě yī gè rén shēnghuó, yě bù gēn bù ài de rén jiéhūn. She would rather live alone than marry someone she doesn't love.

我宁可多花点钱，也不买质量差的东西。 Wǒ nìngkě duō huā diǎn qián, yě bù mǎi zhìliàng chà de dōngxi. I would rather spend a little more money than buy something of poor quality.

他宁可站着等，也不愿意坐在那个脏椅子上。 Tā nìngkě zhànzhe děng, yě bù yuànyì zuò zài nàge zāng yǐzi shàng. He would rather stand and wait than sit on that dirty chair.

我们宁可慢慢来，也不能做出有损道德的事。 Wǒmen nìngkě màn man lái, yě bù néng zuòchū yǒu sǔn dàodé de shì. We would rather take it slowly than do anything that compromises our ethics.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
宁可吃苦，也不放弃	would rather endure hardship than give up
宁可沉默，也不说谎	would rather stay silent than lie
宁可少赚，也不违法	would rather earn less than break the law
宁可一个人，也不将就	would rather be alone than settle

Usage Notes

宁可…也不 expresses a firm, sometimes emotional refusal of the second option. The related pattern 宁愿…也不 is nearly identical in meaning and usage. Both are stronger than simply saying you prefer one thing over another -- they carry a sense of conviction or resolve. The 也不 clause can also be replaced by 也要 to express "would rather [do B] even if it means [doing A]," shifting the emphasis.

Memory Hook

宁可 means "willing to/rather" and 也不 means "also not/still not" -- picture someone saying "I am willing to [suffer this], but I will STILL NOT [do that]." The stubbornness is the key feeling.