与其说

與其說

yǔqíshuō

conjunction #17,168

Meanings

1 rather than say...
2 it would be better to say...

Characters

Literally 'with that said,' used to introduce a comparison between two characterizations.

Examples

HSK 7-9

与其说他聪明，不如说他努力。

Yǔqí shuō tā cōngmíng, bùrú shuō tā nǔlì.

Rather than saying he's smart, it would be better to say he works hard.

HSK 7-9

与其说这是运气，不如说这是实力。

Yǔqí shuō zhè shì yùnqì, bùrú shuō zhè shì shílì.

Rather than calling it luck, it's better to call it skill.

Tips

grammar

与其说...不如说... is a fixed pattern meaning 'rather than saying X, it would be better to say Y.' The second clause presents what the speaker considers more accurate.

Stroke Order

与 yǔ

其 qí

说 shuō