cing4 jyun6情願情愿
Jyutpingcing4 jyun6
Yalechìhng yuhn
Definition
Would rather; to prefer one of two options, often implying that both choices are not ideal.
colloquialdaily actionsemotion
How it's used
Expresses a reluctant choice between two undesirable alternatives, highlighting that the speaker is settling for the lesser of two evils. It often pairs with 寧願 to emphasize the preference for the chosen path over the other. Unlike formal written Chinese, it is frequently used in spoken Cantonese to justify a decision that might seem lazy or counterintuitive to others.
Examples
I would rather eat instant noodles than go out and queue.
Which one would you rather have? Money or your life?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse it with 願意, which means to be willing to do something. 情願 specifically requires a comparison between two options, whereas 願意 simply indicates a positive attitude towards a single action.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
