1
rather than + noun/noun phrase
rather than 用于表达选择，强调取前者而弃后者。
I chose tea rather than coffee.
我选了茶而不是咖啡。
而不是；与其…不如…
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
而不是；与其…不如…
instead of; in preference to
I chose tea rather than coffee.
我选了茶而不是咖啡。
而不是；宁愿
Instead of; in preference to.
I chose tea rather than coffee because I wanted less caffeine.
我选择了茶而不是咖啡，因为我想少摄入咖啡因。
We decided to walk rather than take the bus.
我们决定走路而不是坐公交车。
She prefers to cook at home rather than eat out.
她宁愿在家做饭，也不愿出去吃。
rather than 用于表达选择，强调取前者而弃后者。
I chose tea rather than coffee.
我选了茶而不是咖啡。
后接动词时常用 -ing 形式，动作发出者通常就是句子主语。
Rather than driving, she decided to walk.
她决定走路，而不是开车。
当对比的是地点或方向时，rather than 后可直接跟介词短语。
He lives abroad rather than in his hometown.
他住在国外，而不是住在老家。
Not this
She likes dancing rather than to sing.
Use this
She likes dancing rather than singing.
rather than 连接的两个部分必须是平行结构：既然前面用了动名词 dancing，后面也应用动名词 singing，而不能用不定式 to sing。
Not this
The manager, rather than the employees, are responsible for the delay.
Use this
The manager, rather than the employees, is responsible for the delay.
rather than 引导的是插入成分，句子的真正主语是单数 The manager，所以谓语动词用 is，不能受后面的复数 employees 影响而用 are。
Not this
Rather than he gave up, he kept trying.
Use this
Rather than giving up, he kept trying.
rather than 在这里作介词，后面应接动名词 giving up，与主句共用主语 he；而不能接一个带主语的过去时从句 he gave up。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
尽早；而不是拖延
Please reply sooner rather than later.
请尽早回复。
更多而不是更少；与其说更少，不如说更多
The situation is becoming more rather than less complicated.
情况不是变得不那么复杂，而是变得更加复杂。
而不是相反
Good parents learn from their children rather than vice versa.
好的父母会向孩子学习，而不是相反。
尽早；尽快
We need to address the problem sooner rather than later.
我们需要尽快解决这个问题。
例外情况而非常态；并不常见
Snow in April is the exception rather than the rule here.
在这里，四月份下雪是例外情况，并不常见。
不要爱情、金钱或名声——给我真理。
Henry David Thoreau wrote this in Walden (1854) to show that he valued truth above all other things.
亨利·戴维·梭罗在《瓦尔登湖》（1854年）中写下这句话，以表明他把真理看得比其他一切都重要。
判断一个人，要看他提出的问题，而不是看他的答案。
This saying, often attributed to Voltaire, suggests that the quality of someone's questions reveals more than their answers.
这句常被归于伏尔泰的话表明，一个人提出的问题更能反映其水平，而不是他的答案。
Use rather than naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
把 rather than 想成天平：宁可(rather)要左边，而不是(than)右边。记住‘宁愿A而不是B’。
语域：mixed 常见场景：正式写作、学术文章、演讲对比 rather than 作介词时表示‘而不是’，多用于正式或书面的对比表达；日常口语中更常用 instead of。
该词属于 Oxford 核心词汇，值得优先掌握常见搭配和句型。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.