值得 + Verb (to be worth doing)

• Pinyin: zhíde
• Formation: 值得 + Verb Phrase / (Verb Phrase +) 值得
• Hanzi breakdown: 值 = 亻(person) + 直 (straight)

Meaning

The word 值得 means 'to be worth' or 'to deserve.' It is placed before a verb or verb phrase to indicate that an action is worthwhile. The pattern can also be reversed with the verb phrase placed before 值得 for emphasis.

Unlike English where 'worth' requires the -ing form (worth doing), Chinese 值得 is directly followed by a verb or verb phrase without any special marking. The reverse order places the action first for emphasis: 这本书值得看 vs 值得看的书. When negated, 不值得 means 'not worth it.' 值得 can also stand alone as a predicate, as in 值得吗？(Is it worth it?). In more formal contexts, 值得 often appears with abstract concepts like 值得注意 (worth noting) and 值得思考 (worth thinking about), making it useful across spoken and written registers. The degree adverb 很 can modify 值得 directly: 很值得看.

Examples

1. 这部电影非常值得看。 This movie is really worth watching.
2. 这件事值得我们认真想一想。 This matter is worth our serious consideration.
3. 那家书店值得去逛一逛。 That bookstore is worth visiting.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: evaluative

Do Say

• 这本书很值得读，内容非常丰富。
• 西安是一个值得去旅游的城市。
• 这个问题值得好好讨论一下。

Don't Say

• 这本书值得很读。(很 cannot be placed between 值得 and the following verb — it should modify 值得 directly: 很值得读) → 这本书很值得读。
• 这本书值得读不读？(The V-not-V question form should apply to 值得 itself: 值不值得读 — not to the following verb) → 这本书值不值得读？

Origin & History

值 originally meant 'to be equal to' or 'to encounter' in Classical Chinese, and 得 functions as a complement marker meaning 'able to.' Together, 值得 evolved to mean 'worthy of' or 'deserving' in modern Mandarin.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal