爱华网rather than 意为“而不是”、“而没有”，侧重客观上的差别，还可以表示“与其……，倒不如（或宁可）……”，侧重句子主语或说话人主观上的选择。句中 rather than 前后一般应为名词、代词、动名词、形容词、谓语动词、动词不定式、介词短语，甚至分句等。下面小编来为大家介绍下rather than 的用法说明，希望对大家有用。
rather than 的用法说明如下：一、rather than 接名词1. He is an artist rather than a politician.
他是位艺术家，而不是政治家。（与其说他是政治家，倒不如说他是艺术家。）
2. We ought to invest in new machinery rather than building.
我们该在新机器上而不是在建筑上投资。
3. What attracted him is her personality rather than her beauty.
吸引他的是她的人格魅力,而不是她的美貌。
二、rather than 接代词1. It ought to be me rather than you that sign the letter.
在信上签名的该是我，而不是你。
2. The person who should be praised is you rather than me.
该受到表扬的人是你，而不是我。
三、rather than 接动名词1. I always prefer getting up early rather than going to school without breakfast.
我总是愿意早起床，而不愿不吃早饭就去上学。
2. He enjoys reading rather than watching TV.
他喜欢读书而不喜欢看电视。
3. He was engaged in writing rather than reading the newspaper.
他在忙着写东西，而不是在看报纸。
四、rather than 接形容词
1. I call her hair chestnut rather than brown.
我宁愿说她的头发是栗色的，而不愿说她的头发是棕色的。
2. Taking exercise every day makes him look younger rather than older.
每天锻炼身体使他显得年轻而不是年老。
3. The colour seems green rather than blue.
这颜色好像是绿的，而不是蓝的。
五、rather than 接谓语动词1. She telephoned rather than wrote.
她打了电话，而没有写信。
2. She cried rather than smiled.
她哭了，而不是笑了。
3. He would die rather than give up smoking.
他宁死也不愿戒烟。
六、rather than 接动词不定式1. I decided to write rather than （ to ） telephone.
我决定写信而不打电话。
2. She likes to keep things rather than （ to ） throw them away.
她喜欢把东西保存起来而不是随手将其扔掉。
3. Rather than go there, I'd prefer to stay here on my own.
我宁愿一个人呆在这儿，而不愿去那儿。
七、rather than 接介词短语1. I'd prefer to go in summer rather than in winter.
我宁愿夏天去，而不愿冬天去。
2. We'll have tea in the garden rather than in the house.
我们要在花园里喝茶而不想在屋里喝茶。
3. She is reading in the library rather than in the classroom.
她正在图书馆里看书而不是在教室里。
八、rather than 接分句1. John went to the seaside yesterday rather than he went where he often goes.
约翰昨天到海滨去了，没到他常去的地方。
2. You should help me rather than I should help you.
你应当帮我，而不是我应当帮你。
3. We should know what he meant rather than what he said.
我们应该知道他的真实想法而不是他说了什么。
注意：1. rather than 很像并列连词。其前后都应是相互对应的词语，但接不定式时，常可省去不定式符号 to 。
2. rather than 也可分开使用，和 would 或 had 构成“ would / had rather … than ”结构， than 前后也是相互对等的结构。试比较：
1) She would rather have the small one than the large one.
她宁愿要小的，也不愿要大的。
2) Tom would rather be liked than feared.
汤姆宁愿受人爱戴，而不愿让人惧怕。
3) Wouldn't you rather be liked than feared?
你不是宁愿受人爱戴，而不愿让人惧怕吗？
但当 would rather 被用作谓语动词后接宾语从句时，从句中的谓语动词应为虚拟形式。例如：
I'd rather you came tomorrow than today.
我宁愿明天来，而不是今天来。
3. :rather than连接两个主语时,谓语动词的数与前面主语的数相一致。如:
Jean, rather than her brothers, is to meet her parents.
是琼而不是她的兄弟们去接她父母。
rather than 辨析:1．would rather…than/other than/rather than/or rather
（1）would rather do sth. than do sth. else“宁愿做某事而不愿做别的”，表示主观愿望。使用这一结构时，than前后两部分的成分应对等。如果than后是动词，要用原形。例如：
He would rather have the small one than the big one.
他宁愿要小的，而不愿要大的。
He would rather sell his vegetables at half price than allow them to go bad.
他宁肯把菜半价卖了，也不愿让它们烂掉。
would rather后还可跟宾语从句，从句的谓语用过去时态。
（2）rather than“而不是”，不表示主观愿望，而表示一个事实，不和would连用。注意rather than后的动词要和主句中与之相当的动词在形式上一致。rather than位于句首时，其后的动词必须用－ing形式。例如：
He ran all the way rather than walked.
他一路跑而不是走。
I think Tom, rather than you, is to blame.
我认为是汤姆而不是你应受责备。
Rather than being punished, he should be rewarded.
他应受奖励而不是受惩罚。
另外, rather和than还可分开使用，前后词的形式要求同rather than。例如：
I am rather bored than tired.
我与其说是疲惫不如说是厌倦。
rather than还可以表示“而不愿”的意思，此时rather than后总是跟动词原形。例如：
Rather than allow the vegetable to go bad, he sold them at half price.
他把菜半价卖掉，而不愿让它们烂掉。
（3）or rather“与其说……不如说……；更确切地说；并非那样，而是……”。例如：
I'll meet him, or rather I'll ask him to meet me.
我要会见他，或者更确切地说，我要请他来见我。
（4）other than“除了……；除了……以外”，通常用于否定句中。例如：
I can't do other than obey.
除了服从，我别无他法。
