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Mythic Mandarin

It's less a job than a passion: 与其说…不如说

HSK 5 Unit 2: Rather than and on the contrary · Lesson 3 of 5 · About 26 minutes

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

Your mission: By the end of this lesson, you can refine a description with 与其说…不如说, and talk about what something really is for you.

Warm-up: do you remember?

Two quick questions from earlier lessons. Recalling before you learn makes the new material stick.

  1. Meaning

    What does 自驾 mean?

    1. to become addicted
    2. setback
    3. to drive oneself (on a trip)
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, to drive oneself (on a trip).

    自驾 (zìjià) means to drive oneself (on a trip).

  2. Characters

    Which word means “to make heavier, to aggravate”?

    1. 就算
    2. 批评
    3. 加重
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 加重.

    “to make heavier, to aggravate” is 加重 (jiāzhòng).

  3. Listening

    From an earlier unit. Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    软件 ruǎnjiàn

    1. in time, timely
    2. to lose (a game)
    3. software, app
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, software, app.

    You heard 软件 (ruǎnjiàn): software, app.

New words

  • 生活方式shēnghuó fāngshìway of life
  • 享受xiǎngshòuto enjoy, enjoyment
  • 负担fùdānburden
  • 与其说yǔqí shuōrather than saying

与其说 A，不如说 B

与其说 A，不如说 B is it's not so much A as B. The second description is the more accurate one.

  • 与其说他是老师，不如说他是朋友。

    Yǔqí shuō tā shì lǎoshī, bùrú shuō tā shì péngyou.

    He's less a teacher than a friend.

  • 对我来说，做饭与其说是负担，不如说是享受。

    Duì wǒ lái shuō, zuòfàn yǔqí shuō shì fùdān, bùrú shuō shì xiǎngshòu.

    For me, cooking is less a burden than a pleasure.

Don't confuse it with 与其…不如, which recommends an action.

Characters

Open a character to see how it is written, stroke by stroke, with its meanings and words.

A passion, not a job

Chen Jing interviews Gao Fei, who runs a small photography studio.

Listen first

Play the whole conversation and answer the questions before you open the transcript.

Helpful words: 摄影 shèyǐng photography; 普通 pǔtōng ordinary; 菜市场 càishìchǎng food market; 对我来说 duì wǒ lái shuō for me

  1. Listening

    Listen first. How does Gao Fei describe photography?

    1. a way of life
    2. just a job
    3. a burden
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, a way of life.

    与其说是工作，不如说是一种生活方式.

  2. Listening

    What does he like to photograph most?

    1. famous scenery and landmarks
    2. ordinary people's lives
    3. tall modern buildings
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, ordinary people's lives.

    普通人的生活.

Show the transcript
Pinyin
Translation

  1. 陈静

    摄影Shèyǐng是shì你nǐ的de工作gōngzuò还是háishi爱好àihào？

    Is photography your job or your hobby?

  2. 高飞

    与其说Yǔqí shuō是shì工作gōngzuò，不如bùrú说shuō是shì一yì种zhǒng生活方式shēnghuó fāngshì。

    It's less a job than a way of life.

  3. 陈静

    工作Gōngzuò这么zhème忙máng，不bù觉得juéde累lèi吗ma？

    Isn't it tiring when work is so busy?

  4. 高飞

    对我来说Duì wǒ lái shuō，拍照pāizhào与其说yǔqí shuō是shì负担fùdān，不如bùrú说shuō是shì享受xiǎngshòu。

    For me, taking photos is less a burden than a pleasure.

  5. 陈静

    你Nǐ最zuì喜欢xǐhuan拍pāi什么shénme？

    What do you like photographing most?

  6. 高飞

    普通Pǔtōng人rén的de生活shēnghuó。与其Yǔqí拍pāi有名yǒumíng的de风景fēngjǐng，不如bùrú拍pāi菜市场càishìchǎng里lǐ的de老lǎo奶奶nǎinai。

    Ordinary people's lives. Rather than famous scenery, I'd rather photograph the old ladies at the market.

Speak: listen, record, compare

Listen to each model, record yourself, then play both and compare: the rhythm, the tones, the vowels. No automatic score: your ear is the judge.

  • 对我来说，拍照与其说是负担，不如说是享受。

    Duì wǒ lái shuō, pāizhào yǔqí shuō shì fùdān, bùrú shuō shì xiǎngshòu.

    For me, taking photos is less a burden than a pleasure.

  • 与其说是工作，不如说是一种生活方式。

    Yǔqí shuō shì gōngzuò, bùrú shuō shì yì zhǒng shēnghuó fāngshì.

    It's less a job than a way of life.

  • 你最喜欢拍什么？

    Nǐ zuì xǐhuan pāi shénme?

    What do you like photographing most?

Practice

  1. Meaning

    What does 生活方式 mean?

    1. way of life
    2. last year
    3. to take, to carry
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, way of life.

    生活方式 (shēnghuó fāngshì) means way of life.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “to enjoy, enjoyment”?

    1. 自驾
    2. 享受
    3. 不如
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 享受.

    “to enjoy, enjoyment” is 享受 (xiǎngshòu).

  3. Word order

    Put the words in order: What do you like photographing most?

    • 最
    • 拍
    • 你
    • 什么
    • 喜欢
    Show the answer

    你最喜欢拍什么 Nǐ zuì xǐhuan pāi shénme?

    What do you like photographing most?

    你最喜欢拍什么？ The sentence comes from this lesson's text.

  4. Listening

    Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    与其说 yǔqí shuō

    1. usually, ordinary
    2. news
    3. rather than saying
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, rather than saying.

    You heard 与其说 (yǔqí shuō): rather than saying.

  5. Your turn

    Recall: type the Chinese for “way of life” (characters or pinyin).

    Show the answer

    Answer: 生活方式

    “way of life” is 生活方式 (shēnghuó fāngshì).

  6. Grammar

    Which sentence means He's less a boss than a friend?

    1. 与其说他是老板，不如说他是朋友。
    2. 与其他是老板，不如说朋友。
    3. 与其说朋友，不如说老板。
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 与其说他是老板，不如说他是朋友。.

    与其说他是老板，不如说他是朋友。: 与其说 A，不如说 B: B is more accurate.

  7. Fill the gap

    Complete: Work is a burden for him.

    工作对他来说是一种＿＿。

    1. 享受
    2. 负担
    3. 爱好
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 负担.

    负担: burden.

  8. In context

    You love your morning run. How do you describe it?

    1. 跑步对我来说是负担。
    2. 跑步对我来说是职业。
    3. 跑步对我来说是享受。
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 跑步对我来说是享受。.

    跑步对我来说是享受。: 享受: a pleasure.

  9. Your turn

    Type the Chinese for way of life

    Show the answer

    Answer: 生活方式

    生活方式: way of life.

What it really is

Describe three things in your life out loud with 与其说…不如说.

  1. Your job or studies.
  2. A hobby.
  3. A person important to you.

Sentence frames

  • 与其说＿＿是＿＿，不如说是＿＿。

    Yǔqí shuō ＿＿ shì ＿＿, bùrú shuō shì ＿＿.

    ... is less ... than ...

Record your attempt (three and a half minutes at most) and listen back:

Review and finish

Can you do this? If a line feels shaky, go back to that part before you move on.

  • I can refine a description with 与其说…不如说.
  • I can tell it apart from 与其…不如.

Review works best spaced out: answer these exercises again tomorrow, then after a few days. Your progress is saved in this browser.

Completing records that you finished the lesson. Mastery is separate: it grows as reviews bring the exercises back and you answer them correctly.

Next lesson: Not at all what you think: 并非 and 并不