役に立つ

• Reading: やくにたつ
• Romaji: yakunitatsu
• Kanji breakdown: 役 (yaku/eki) — role, duty, use; 立 (ritsu/ta) — stand
• Pronunciation: /ja.kɯ.ni.ta.t͡sɯ/

Meaning

To be helpful; to be useful; to serve a purpose. Describes something that provides practical value.

A compound expression combining 役 (yaku, role/use) with に立つ (ni tatsu, to stand in). Functions as a Group 1 (godan) verb phrase. The negative form 役に立たない means useless. Very common in everyday conversation when evaluating the usefulness of tools, advice, skills, or knowledge.

Examples

1. この辞書は日本語の勉強に役に立ちます。 This dictionary is useful for studying Japanese.
2. 旅行の時にこのアプリが役に立った。 This app came in handy when I was traveling.
3. 外国語を話せると仕事で役に立つ。 Being able to speak a foreign language is useful at work.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, study, work

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From 役 (role, duty) + に (particle) + 立つ (to stand). Literally means to stand in a role — to fulfill a useful function or purpose.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal