宁（寧）;[甯]nìnɡ

Ⅰ  ❶ （宁可） rather; would rather; better: ～ 早勿晚。 Better be early than late. ～ 教我负天下人， 休教天下人负我。 I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me.
❷ [书] (岂； 难道) could there be: 山之险峻， ～ 有逾此？ Could there be a mountain more precipitous than this? Ⅱ  （姓氏） a surname: ～ 戚 Ning Qi
另见 see also nínɡ。
◆宁可 would rather; better; 宁可无钱，不可无耻 It is better to be clothed in rags than to be clothed with shame.; 宁肯 would rather; 宁缺毋滥 It is better to leave a deficiency uncovered than to have it covered without discretion.; put quality before qantity; Fewer [Less] but better.; rather go without than have sth. shoddy; rather go without than make do with a substandard substitute; 宁死不屈 die rather than submit; Death before dishonour!; rather die than surrender [submit; yield]; would rather die than submit or be humiliated; would see oneself shot before yielding; 宁为鸡口，毋[无]为牛后 better be a bird's beak than a cow's rump; better be a dog's head than a lion's tail; Better be the head of a lizard than the tail of a dragon.; Better be the head of the yeomary than the tail of the gentry.; Better to reign in hell than serve in Heaven.; 宁为玉碎， 不为瓦全 rather be a shattered vessel [broken piece] of jade than an unbroken piece of pottery — better to die in glory than live in dishonour; better to die in an attempt than seek ignominious safety; die with honour, rather than survive with dishonour; rather die for a noble cause than continue to live a shameful life; would rather be a broken jade object than an intack piece of pottery; would rather be a jade broken than a tile intact; would rather die as a hero than live as a coward; 宁愿 would rather; better; as soon; would rather ... than ...; don't want anything else, only ...; should like to; prefer to; better ... than ...; would do sth. before; would sooner ... than do sth.