Contrast and Choice: 然而, 而, 固然, 与其…不如, 宁可, 就算 and 要不是

然而 and 而

然而 (rán'ér) is the written 'however'. It opens a sentence or clause, before the subject: 然而，事情并没有那么简单 (however, things were not so simple).

而 (ér) on its own joins two clauses or phrases and, at this level, most often means 'whereas, while' in a contrast: 南方人爱吃米饭，而北方人爱吃面食 (southerners love rice, whereas northerners love wheat-based food). It sits at the start of the second clause. In speech, people say 但是 or 可是, or simply put the two clauses side by side.

• 大家都以为他会赢，然而他输了。

  Dàjiā dōu yǐwéi tā huì yíng, rán'ér tā shū le.

  Everyone thought he'd win. However, he lost.

• 城市人口不断增加，而农村人口逐年减少。

  Chéngshì rénkǒu búduàn zēngjiā, ér nóngcūn rénkǒu zhúnián jiǎnshǎo.

  The urban population keeps growing, while the rural population falls year by year.

固然…但 and 就算 / 即便

固然 (gùrán) concedes a point before arguing against it: 'admittedly, it's true that … but'. 钱固然重要，但健康更重要 (money is admittedly important, but health matters more). It goes after the subject of the first clause, and the second clause opens with 但, 但是 or 可是.

就算 (jiùsuàn) and 即便 (jíbiàn) both mean 'even if, even supposing', like 即使. 就算 is spoken; 即便 is written. Both pair with 也. 决不 (juébù, absolutely never) often follows in a strong refusal: 就算再难，我也决不放弃.

• 这个方法固然好，但成本太高。

  Zhège fāngfǎ gùrán hǎo, dàn chéngběn tài gāo.

  Admittedly this method is good, but the cost is too high.

• 就算你不说，我也知道。

  Jiùsuàn nǐ bù shuō, wǒ yě zhīdao.

  Even if you don't tell me, I know.

与其…不如 and 宁可…也不

与其 A，不如 B (yǔqí A, bùrú B) weighs two options and prefers the second: 'rather than A, it's better to B'. 与其在家发愁，不如出去走走 (rather than worrying at home, you'd be better off going out). The preferred option comes second, the reverse of English 'I'd rather B than A'. A subject can go before 与其 or right before 不如 (与其抱怨，我们不如想想办法), and 还不如 adds 'you might as well'. 与其说 A，不如说 B relabels rather than chooses: 'it's not so much A as B' (与其说他懒，不如说他太累了).

宁可 A，也不 B (nìngkě A, yě bù B) expresses a firm choice of a hard option to avoid a worse one: 'would rather A than B'. 我宁可走路，也不坐他的车 (I'd rather walk than ride in his car). Here the chosen option comes first. 宁愿 (nìngyuàn) is a near synonym.

• 与其抱怨，不如想想办法。

  Yǔqí bàoyuàn, bùrú xiǎngxiang bànfǎ.

  Rather than complaining, why not think of a solution?

• 我宁可少赚点钱，也不想天天加班。

  Wǒ nìngkě shǎo zhuàn diǎn qián, yě bù xiǎng tiāntiān jiā bān.

  I'd rather earn a bit less than work overtime every day.

要不是: if it weren't for

要不是 (yàobúshì) introduces a fact that prevented something, and the main clause says what would have happened: 要不是你帮忙，我早就放弃了 (if it weren't for your help, I'd have given up long ago). 就 or 早就 and a final 了 are typical. It's the spoken counterpart of 幸亏…不然 seen from the other side.

• 要不是下大雨，我们早就到了。

  Yàobúshì xià dà yǔ, wǒmen zǎo jiù dào le.

  If it hadn't been for the heavy rain, we'd have arrived long ago.

Common mistakes

• ✗与其走路，不如坐车。 (meaning: I'd rather walk than take the bus)

  ✓与其坐车，不如走路。

  Yǔqí zuò chē, bùrú zǒu lù.

  The option you reject goes after 与其 and the one you recommend after 不如. English 'I'd rather walk than take the bus' names the preferred option first, so learners copy that order and end up recommending the opposite.

• ✗我宁可走路，不坐出租车。

  ✓我宁可走路，也不坐出租车。

  Wǒ nìngkě zǒu lù, yě bú zuò chūzūchē.

  宁可 needs 也不 (or 也要 for a positive choice) in the second clause.

• ✗我想去，然而我没钱。 (chatting with a friend)

  ✓我想去，可是没钱。

  Wǒ xiǎng qù, kěshì méi qián.

  然而 is written style. In conversation, use 可是, 但是 or 不过.

Questions learners ask

Related grammar guides

• Building an Argument: 首先, 之所以…是因为, 从而, 可见, 一来…二来, 以致 · Advanced Chinese
• Against Expectations: 反而, 反正, 不料, 偏偏, 总算, 未必 and 难免 · Advanced Chinese