Level 4 · Upper Intermediate
Worth doing: 值得
Subj. + 值得 + Verb / 不值得
值得 (zhídé) + verb says something deserves the effort: 这个问题值得考虑 "this question is worth considering", 这本书值得一看 "this book is worth a read" (the little 一 makes it "a quick look").
Negate in front: 不值得 — 为这么小的事生气，不值得 "getting angry over such a small thing isn't worth it". It can also stand alone at the end as a verdict: 很贵，但是值得 "expensive, but worth it".
Examples
这个问题值得考虑。
這個問題值得考慮。
zhè ge wèn tí zhí de kǎo lǜ
This question is worth considering.
这本书很好，值得一看。
這本書很好，值得一看。
zhè běn shū hěn hǎo zhí de yī kàn
This book is great — worth a read.
这个地方很美，值得再来一次。
這個地方很美，值得再來一次。
zhè ge dì fāng hěn měi zhí de zài lái yī cì
This place is beautiful — worth coming back to.
为这么小的事生气，不值得。
為這麼小的事生氣，不值得。
wèi zhè me xiǎo de shì shēng qì bù zhí de
Getting angry over such a small thing just isn't worth it.
Common mistakes
✗ 这件事值得不做。
✓ 这件事不值得做。
The negative goes before 值得, never after it.
Related grammar points
Practice this pattern in graded stories like A Small Harvest Surprise (Part 4), The Breakfast Rush (Part 2), Café Copywriting (Part 3) inside the Literate Chinese app.
