▎與其 A，不如 B, (yŭqí (Conj) A, bùrú (Conj) B), would rather B than A

 

Function 與其 presents (A) that is an action recommended against. The preference is given to B, presented by 不如. This is a formal pattern.

1 恐怖片那麼恐怖。與其看恐怖片，不如看愛情片。

Kǒngbùpiàn nàme kǒngbù. Yǔqí kàn kǒngbùpiàn, bùrú kàn àiqíngpiàn.

Horror movies are really scary. Why not watch a romance movie instead?

2 逛街那麼無聊。與其上街買東西，不如上網買。

Guàngjiē nàme wúliáo. Yǔqí shàng jiē mǎi dōngxi, bùrú shàngwǎng mǎi.

Window-shopping is rather boring. Shopping online is better than going out to buy stuff.

3 百貨公司的東西那麼貴。與其去那裡買，不如去夜市買。

Bǎihuò gōngsī de dōngxi nàme guì. Yǔqí qù nàlǐ mǎi, bùrú qù yèshì mǎi.

It’s expensive shopping in department stores. A good alternative is going to the night market.

4 有人認為養孩子太貴太麻煩。與其養孩子，不如養隻寵物。

Yǒu rén rènwéi yǎng háizi tài guì tài máfan. Yǔqí yǎng háizi, bùrú yǎng zhī chǒngwù.

Some people say that raising kids is really expensive, a hassle too, and that opting for a pet is better.

5 球賽現場人那麼多。與其去現場看，不如在家上網看。

Qiúsài xiànchǎng rén nàme duō. Yǔqí qù xiànchǎng kàn, bùrú zài jiā shàngwǎng kàn.

Going out to watch the game means dealing with crowds, and it’s better to watch it online.