倒不如

dàobùrú

phrase #22,021

Meanings

1 it would be better to
2 rather than that, it's better to

Characters

contrary / on the contrary

as good as / like

Examples

与其在家发愁，倒不如出去走走。

Yǔqí zài jiā fāchóu, dào bùrú chūqù zǒuzou.

Rather than sitting home worrying, it would be better to go out for a walk.

这家餐厅那么贵，倒不如自己做。

Zhè jiā cāntīng nàme guì, dào bùrú zìjǐ zuò.

That restaurant is so expensive — it would be better to cook at home.

Tips

grammar

倒不如 often pairs with 与其 (yǔqí, 'rather than') in the construction 与其…倒不如… — 'rather than X, it would be better to Y'. The 倒 adds a mild sense of unexpectedness or contrast.

Stroke Order

倒 dào

不 bù

如 rú