Saying “instead of” in cantonese

Question

I want to ask how to say “instead of” in cantonese in the following context?

“Can you pay me in Canadian dollar instead of Hong kong dollar?” (Or the general form of X instead of Y)

One way might be to use “不如”, but i feel this is too strong. What is a more acceptable way to say “instead”?

Answer 1

Instead of = 代替; 而不是

[use(A) instead of (B)] = [use (A) 代替/ substitute (B)]

or

[use(A) instead of (B)] = [use (A) 而不是/ but not (B)]

Example:

Use carrot instead of stick = 用利誘代替威逼; 用利誘而不是(用)威逼

Use John instead of Peter = 用約翰代替彼得; 用約翰而不是(用)彼得

kill John instead of Peter = 殺約翰而不是(殺)彼得

Cantonese:

用利誘而唔係(用)威逼

殺約翰而唔係(殺)彼得

~

"pay me in Canadian dollar instead of Hong kong dollar" in Cantonese

用加幣代替(用)港元付款(俾我); 用加幣而唔係(用)港元付款(俾我)

words in () are optional

You are correct, '不如' means 'better off'. It is different from "instead of". "用利誘(不如)用威逼" means "(better off) use stick than use carrot"

Answer 2

Can you pay me in Canadian dollar instead of Hong Kong dollar?

A native way to say it.

唔該畀加紙我，唔好畀港紙。

Or more directly

我收加紙，唔收港紙。

Just state the positive term and then the negative term.

Other examples:

靠左唔好靠右。 keep left instead of right

買大唔好買細。 buy the big one instead of small one

同人講我出咗國，唔好話我入咗醫院。 tell others I am overseas now instead of telling them I stay in the hospital.

不如 is for suggestion and preference.

你畀港紙我 不如畀加紙我。 I suggest you pay me in Canadian dollar instead of Hong Kong dollar. / It'd be better to pay me in Canadian dollar instead of Hong Kong dollar.

去行公司，不如去睇戲. Instead of shopping in a department store, I suggest we go to watch a film in a cinema.