宁可
nìng kě
Pinyin

Definition

宁可
 - 
nìng kě
  1. preferably
  2. one would prefer to...(or not to...)
  3. would rather
  4. (would) be better to
  5. (to pick) the lesser of two evils

Character Decomposition

Related Words (20)

可
kě
  1. 1 can
  2. 2 may
  3. 3 able to
  4. 4 to approve
  5. 5 to permit
  6. 6 to suit
  7. 7 (particle used for emphasis) certainly
  8. 8 very
可以
kě yǐ
  1. 1 can
  2. 2 may
  3. 3 possible
  4. 4 able to
  5. 5 not bad
  6. 6 pretty good
可爱
kě ài
  1. 1 adorable
  2. 2 cute
  3. 3 lovely
可是
kě shì
  1. 1 but
  2. 2 however
  3. 3 (used for emphasis) indeed
可能
kě néng
  1. 1 might (happen)
  2. 2 possible
  3. 3 probable
  4. 4 possibility
  5. 5 probability
  6. 6 maybe
  7. 7 perhaps
  8. 8 CL:個|个[gè]
可可西里
Kě kě xī lǐ
  1. 1 Hoh Xil or Kekexili, vast nature reserve on Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau 青藏高原[Qīng Zàng gāo yuán]
可怕
kě pà
  1. 1 awful
  2. 2 dreadful
  3. 3 fearful
  4. 4 formidable
  5. 5 frightful
  6. 6 scary
  7. 7 hideous
  8. 8 horrible
  9. 9 terrible
  10. 10 terribly
可悲
kě bēi
  1. 1 lamentable
可惜
kě xī
  1. 1 it is a pity
  2. 2 what a pity
  3. 3 unfortunately
可恶
kě wù
  1. 1 repulsive
  2. 2 vile
  3. 3 hateful
  4. 4 abominable
可怜
kě lián
  1. 1 pitiful
  2. 2 pathetic
  3. 3 to have pity on
可乐
kě lè
  1. 1 amusing
  2. 2 entertaining
  3. 3 (loanword) cola
可笑
kě xiào
  1. 1 funny
  2. 2 ridiculous
可贵
kě guì
  1. 1 to be treasured
  2. 2 praiseworthy
宁可
nìng kě
  1. 1 preferably
  2. 2 one would prefer to...(or not to...)
  3. 3 would rather
  4. 4 (would) be better to
  5. 5 (to pick) the lesser of two evils
无懈可击
wú xiè kě jī
  1. 1 invulnerable
认可
rèn kě
  1. 1 to approve
  2. 2 approval
  3. 3 acknowledgment
  4. 4 OK
一发不可收拾
yī fā bù kě shōu shi
  1. 1 once it gets started there's no stopping it
不可一世
bù kě yī shì
  1. 1 to consider oneself unexcelled in the world
  2. 2 to be insufferably arrogant
不可告人
bù kě gào rén
  1. 1 hidden
  2. 2 kept secret
  3. 3 not to be divulged

Idioms (20)

一蹴可几
yī cù kě jǐ
  1. 1 to succeed at the first try (idiom)
  2. 2 easy as pie
  3. 3 one can do it at once
不可胜言
bù kě shèng yán
  1. 1 inexpressible (idiom)
  2. 2 beyond description
不可同日而语
bù kě tóng rì ér yǔ
  1. 1 lit. mustn't speak of two things on the same day (idiom); not to be mentioned in the same breath
  2. 2 incomparable
不可思议
bù kě sī yì
  1. 1 inconceivable (idiom); unimaginable
  2. 2 unfathomable
不可抗拒
bù kě kàng jù
  1. 1 act of God
  2. 2 force majeure (law)
  3. 3 irresistible (idiom)
不可枚举
bù kě méi jǔ
  1. 1 innumerable (idiom)
不可理喻
bù kě lǐ yù
  1. 1 to be impervious to reason (idiom)
  2. 2 unreasonable
不可端倪
bù kě duān ní
  1. 1 impossible to get even an outline (idiom)
  2. 2 unfathomable
  3. 3 not a clue
不可言喻
bù kě yán yù
  1. 1 inexpressible (idiom)
乏善可陈
fá shàn kě chén
  1. 1 to be nothing to write home about (idiom)
人不可貌相
rén bù kě mào xiàng
  1. 1 you can't judge a person by appearance (idiom)
  2. 2 you can't judge a book by its cover
  3. 3 often in combination 人不可貌相，海水不可斗量[rén bù kě mào xiàng , hǎi shuǐ bù kě dǒu liáng]
人不可貌相，海水不可斗量
rén bù kě mào xiàng , hǎi shuǐ bù kě dǒu liáng
  1. 1 you can't judge a person by appearance, just as you can't measure the sea with a pint pot (idiom)
人言可畏
rén yán kě wèi
  1. 1 gossip is a fearful thing (idiom)
他山之石可以攻玉
tā shān zhī shí kě yǐ gōng yù
  1. 1 lit. the other mountain's stone can polish jade (idiom); to improve oneself by accepting criticism from outside
  2. 2 to borrow talent from abroad to develop the nation effectively
功不可没
gōng bù kě mò
  1. 1 one's contributions cannot go unnoticed (idiom)
勇气可嘉
yǒng qì kě jiā
  1. 1 to deserve praise for one's courage (idiom)
势不可当
shì bù kě dāng
  1. 1 impossible to resist (idiom); an irresistible force
只可意会，不可言传
zhǐ kě yì huì , bù kě yán chuán
  1. 1 can be understood, but not described (idiom, from Zhuangzi 莊子|庄子); mysterious and subtle
可以意会，不可言传
kě yǐ yì huì , bù kě yán chuán
  1. 1 can be understood, but not described (idiom, from Zhuangzi 莊子|庄子); mysterious and subtle
可共患难
kě gòng huàn nàn
  1. 1 to go through thick and thin together (idiom)

Sample Sentences

真是狗嘴里吐不出象牙来啊，也难怪优雅的仙女儿成了前任，不过你说的美联航那事儿也确实让人大跌眼镜，空乘人员怎么能对乘客施行暴力呢？我宁可没桃花也不希望坐飞机遇到这种倒霉事儿。
zhēnshi gǒuzuǐ lǐ tǔ bù chū xiàngyá lái ā ，yě nánguài yōuyǎ de xiānnǚr chéng le qiánrèn ，bùguò nǐ shuō de Měiliánháng nà shìr5 yě quèshí ràng rén dà diēyǎnjìng ，kōngchéng rényuán zěnme néng duì chéngkè shīxíng bàolì ne ？wǒ nìngkě méi táohuā yě bù xīwàng zuò fēijī yùdào zhèzhǒng dǎoméi shìr5 。
Tut tut, I suppose you can’t expect wise words from a scoundrel. No wonder the elegant goddess is now an ex, but the incident with United Airlines you brought up really was quite shocking. How can airline staff be violent with passengers? I’d rather have no one who likes me, than to come upon bad luck like that while flying.
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您说的一点没错，我已经开始反省目前的状态了，与其人到中年便早早进病房，我宁可少赚些银子，好好养生。
nín shuō de yīdiǎn méicuò ，wǒ yǐjīng kāishǐ fǎnxǐng mùqián de zhuàngtài le ，yǔqí rén dào zhōngnián biàn zǎo zǎo jìn bìngfáng ，wǒ nìngkě shǎo zhuàn xiē yínzǐ ，hǎohāo yǎngshēng 。
You're not wrong there. I've already started to reflect on my current situation. Rather than going into hospital early in middle age, I'd rather earn a little less money and look after my health properly.
Go to Lesson 
喜欢个头，他到处撒网，同时追十个女生耶，还好我看清他了，告诉你，我宁可当鲁妹也不要跟这种男生在一起。
xǐhuan gètóu ，tā dàochù sāwǎng ，tóngshí zhuī shí gè nǚshēng yē ，hái hǎo wǒ kànqīng tā le ，gàosu nǐ ，wǒ nìngkě dāng Lǔmèi yě bú yào gēn zhèzhǒng nánshēng zàiyìqǐ 。
Like my ass, he had his thumbs in lots of different pies, chasing over a dozen girls at the same time. Luckily I saw through him. I tell you, I'd rather be left on the shelf than to be with a guy like that.
Go to Lesson 
但是我宁可回到五分钟以前，因为不想跟你谈这个话题的是现在这个时空的我啊！
dànshì wǒ nìngkě huí dào wǔ fēnzhōng yǐqián ，yīnwèi bù xiǎng gēn nǐ tán zhè ge huàtí de shì xiànzài zhè ge shíkōng de wǒ ā ！
But I still wish I could return to five minutes ago, because the it is the me here and now that doesn't want to discuss this topic with you!
Go to Lesson 
我受不了车上人挤人，宁可多花点钱停车。
wǒ shòubuliǎo chēshang rén jǐ rén ，nìngkě duō huā diǎnr qián tíngchē 。
I can't stand how crowded it is on the carriages. I'd rather pay a little more for parking.
Go to Lesson 
人都是爱听好话的嘛，好事当然是“宁可信其有。
rén dōu shì ài tīng hǎohuà de ma ，hǎoshì dāngrán shì “nìngkě xìn qí yǒu 。
Everyone loves to hear pleasant things. Of course ''you'd rather to believe that good things will happen."
Go to Lesson 
宁可
nìngkě
would rather
Go to Lesson 
宁可信其有，不可信其无。这个说法还是挺吓人的，寡妇年，倒霉的是咱们男人。
nìngkě xìn qí yǒu, bù kě xìn qí wú 。zhè ge shuōfa háishì tǐng xiàrén de ，guǎfu nián ，dǎoméi de shì zánmen nánrén 。
You're better off believing it in case it's true. This expression is pretty scary. 'Widow's year'; it's us guys that are the unlucky ones.
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