值得 (zhíde) means "to be worth" doing something, and is often placed before a verb or a verb phrase. Note that it is used to describe whether an action is worth it and cannot be used to state that something is worth a certain monetary value. For that 值 must be used on its own.
值得 as an Adverb
Structure
值得 + Verb / [Verb Phrase]
Examples
- 雷锋 助人为乐 的 精神 值得 我们 学习。 The spirit of altruism merits some study.
- 巴金 的 散文 很 值得 一看。 Ba Jin's prose deserves a look.
- 这 件 小事 不 值得 你 担心。 This little thing isn't worth your time.
值得 as an Adjective
值得 can also be used as an adjective - on its own, or following a verb phrase.
Structure
Examples
- 值得吗？ 值得。 Is it worth it? Yes. It's worth it.
- 上大学(很)值得。 Attending college is worth it.
- 学汉语是值得的。 Studying Chinese is really worth it.
When expressing that something is not worth doing one can say something is either 不值得 or 值不得.
See also
Sources and Further Reading