conditional N1 uncommon casualwritten
〜くらいなら — rather than ~
〜くらいなら ・ くらいなら
Meaning
- rather than ~ (which is so bad), I'd sooner … — rejecting one option as worse than an extreme alternative
Key sentence
行列に並ぶくらいなら、行かない方がましだ。
Rather than stand in that line, I'd sooner not go at all.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (dictionary form) | Vる + くらいなら + [preferred, often drastic, alternative] | 捨てるくらいなら |
When: The speaker finds the first option so unpleasant that even a drastic alternative is preferable; the main clause often ends 〜方がましだ / 〜方がいい.
Examples
人に頭を下げるくらいなら、自分でやる。
Rather than bow and beg someone, I'll do it myself.
途中でやめるくらいなら、最初から始めない方がいい。
If you're going to quit halfway, you'd be better off not starting at all.
Easily confused with
ほうがましだ 〜ほうがましだ states the preferred lesser evil directly ('~ is the better of two bad options'); くらいなら sets up the rejected option, and the two pair naturally (Aくらいなら Bほうがましだ). より 〜より is a neutral comparison ('rather than / compared to'); くらいなら carries strong distaste — the first option is so bad that an extreme alternative wins out.
Notes
- ぐらいなら is an equally common spelling; meaning is identical.
See 〜くらいなら in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜くらいなら the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.