plutôt que
rather than
Definition & meaning
The phrase "plutôt que" is a prepositional locution used to express a preference or an alternative choice between two things, actions, or states. It translates to "rather than" or "instead of" in English.
It is used to indicate that one option is chosen or preferred over another. For example, "Je préfère boire du thé plutôt que du café" means "I prefer to drink tea rather than coffee."
Grammar & Word origin
The phrase is composed of three parts:
- Plus: Meaning "more."
- Tôt: Meaning "soon" or "early."
- Que: Meaning "than" or "that."
Literally, it implies "sooner than," which evolved over time to signify the preference of one action over another. It functions as a subordinating conjunction or a prepositional phrase. When followed by an infinitive verb, it is often paired with "de," resulting in "plutôt que de" (e.g., "Il a choisi de marcher plutôt que de prendre le bus").
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms:
- Au lieu de[?](vocabuo://word/au lieu de)
- À la place de[?](vocabuo://word/à la place de)
- Préférablement à[?](vocabuo://word/préférablement à)
Antonyms:
- Plutôt que[?](vocabuo://word/plutôt que) generally does not have a direct single-word antonym, but the concept of inclusion or addition can be represented by:
- En plus de[?](vocabuo://word/en plus de)
- Ainsi que[?](vocabuo://word/ainsi que)
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Examples
Je préfère partir tôt plutôt que de rater l'avion.other
I prefer to leave early rather than miss the plane.
Elle a choisi de se taire plutôt que de mentir.other
She chose to remain silent rather than lie.
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