ning4 jyun6寧願宁愿

Jyutpingning4 jyun6

Yalenìhng yuhn

Common

Definition

Would rather; to prefer an option, especially when neither choice is ideal.

colloquialdaily actionsemotion

How it's used

Often implies that both choices are suboptimal or undesirable, reflecting a sense of resignation. It frequently appears in the structure 與其... 寧願... to contrast a rejected option with a preferred one. Unlike the formal Mandarin usage, it is common to drop the second part of the comparison if the context is clear.

Examples

jyu5與kei4其tung4同keoi5佢cou4嘈，ngo5我ning4寧jyun2願zi6自gei2己haang4行hoi1開。

Rather than arguing with him, I would prefer to walk away myself.

nei5你ning4寧jyun2願sik6食faan6飯ding6定hai6係sik6食min6麵aa4呀？

Would you rather have rice or noodles?

Common phrases

ning4寧jyun2願sei2死

would rather die

ning4寧jyun2願m4唔jiu3要

would rather not have it

Common mistake

Learners sometimes mistake it for a simple preference like 鍾意, but it specifically carries the nuance of choosing the lesser of two evils or making a sacrifice to avoid a worse outcome.