Definition

Adverb phrase: - Better, would rather: Expresses a strong preference for one option over another, often implying that the chosen alternative is the lesser of two evils or a more acceptable outcome in an undesirable situation. It conveys "it would be better to..." or "I would rather...".

Usage

• Used to introduce the preferred option in a comparison, typically followed by the undesirable alternative.
• Often appears in the structure: "chẳng thà [Option A] còn hơn [Option B]" (Better to [A] than [B] / I'd rather [A] than [B]).
• It expresses a resigned or pragmatic choice, not necessarily between two good things, but often between two difficult or negative outcomes.

Usage Examples

• (I would rather go hungry than eat other people's leftovers.)
• Chẳng thà mình tự làm lấy còn hơn phải nhờ vả kẻ khác. (It's better to do it ourselves than to have to ask others for help.)
• (He said: "I'd rather quit than have to put up with this tyrannical boss.")

Advanced Usage

• "Chẳng thà... cho rồi": Used to emphasize a decisive, final choice to end an unpleasant situation.
  • Mệt quá, chẳng thà mình về nhà ngay bây giờ cho rồi. (I'm so tired, I might as well just go home now and be done with it.)
• Can sometimes stand alone as a rhetorical fragment to express a strong, implied preference.
  • Đi bộ dưới trời mưa này? Chẳng thà! (Walk in this rain? I'd rather not! / No way!)

Variants and Related Words

• Thà: A more common and slightly less emphatic synonym. "Thà" and "chẳng thà" are often interchangeable, though "chẳng thà" can sound more literary or forceful.
  • Thà chết vinh còn hơn sống nhục. (Better to die with honor than live in disgrace.)
• Thảo nào: (Adverb) No wonder. (Note: This is a different word meaning "no wonder," included here due to potential phonetic confusion for learners.)
• Đành: (Verb/Adverb) To resign oneself to, to have to accept. Often sets up a context where "chẳng thà" is the resulting choice.
  • Đành vậy, chẳng thà mình chấp nhận thua cuộc. (Alright then, I might as well just accept defeat.)

Synonyms

• Thà: Would rather, better.
• Tốt hơn là: It is better to.
• Nên... hơn: Should... rather.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Chẳng thà... còn hơn...: The standard comparative structure meaning "Better to... than...".
  • This is the core idiomatic pattern for this phrase.
• Thà một phút huy hoàng rồi chợt tắt / Còn hơn buồn le lói suốt trăm năm. (Xuân Diệu): A famous poetic line: "Better one glorious minute then suddenly go out / Than glimmer sadly for a hundred years." This exemplifies the "Thà... còn hơn..." structure which is synonymous with "chẳng thà... còn hơn...".

1. Better, would rather