Grammar › Comparison & Degree
くらいなら — “rather than… (I'd prefer)”
Rejects an unpleasant option so strongly that even an extreme alternative looks better
Plain form + くらいなら sets up an option the speaker considers so bad that almost anything else — even something normally undesirable — is preferable — “rather than do X, I'd rather do Y.” It's an emphatic, often exaggerated way to express strong reluctance.
How to form it
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Plain form + くらいなら | 謝るくらいなら、死んだほうがましだ — I'd rather die than apologize |
Example sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 電車に乗り遅れるくらいなら、タクシーを使います。 | でんしゃにのりおくれるくらいなら、たくしーをつかいます。 denshaninoriokurerukurainara、takushi-wotsukaimasu。 | Rather than miss the train, I'll take a taxi. |
| 残業するくらいなら、給料が減ってもいい。 | ざんぎょうするくらいなら、きゅうりょうがへってもいい。 zangyousurukurainara、kyuuryougahettemoii。 | I'd rather take a pay cut than work overtime. |
| あんな人と働くくらいなら、会社を辞める。 | あんなひととはたらくくらいなら、かいしゃをやめる。 annahitotohatarakukurainara、kaishawoyameru。 | I'd quit the company rather than work with someone like that. |
🔊 Tap any Japanese sentence to hear it; kanji link to their study pages.
Watch out
くらいなら is deliberately extreme and often paired with ましだ (would be better) for emphasis — using it for a mild, everyday preference can sound overly dramatic; plain より is usually enough for ordinary comparisons.