Worth it with 〜甲斐がある
Grammar: Appraisal
The noun 甲斐 means “worth” or “effect”. 甲斐がある may be appended to a noun to say something has value. When attached to a verb, it shows that an action has value, effectiveness, or a worthwhile result, often highlighting a positive outcome after something challenging or time-consuming. In English, it’s similar to “be worth doing” or “it pays off to ~”. There is a nuance that something difficult or unpleasant lead to a positive outcome.
Usage
It commonly appears in situations involving hard work, waiting, or investments of time/effort, like studying, practicing, or enduring difficulties, to assess if the result justifies the action. The negative form 〜甲斐がない indicates something is “not worth it” or “pointless”.
When attached to a noun, の is used, such as 「noun の甲斐がある」. A preceeding verb may be in its dictionary form (待つ), completed form (待った), or the verb stem (待ち). Attaching to a verb stem changes from かい to がい. It is also common to see it written in hiragana rather than kanji. The particle 「が」 may be dropped.
Formation
- Verb (dictionary form) + 甲斐がある
- 登る甲斐があると思う
- "I think it’s worth climbing."
- Verb (past tense) + 甲斐がある
- 協力した甲斐があった
- "My effort paid off."
- Verb stem + がい + がある
- 教えがいがある
- "It’s rewarding to teach."
- Noun + の + 甲斐がある
- 準備の甲斐がある
- "The preparation was worthwhile."
- Negative form: Verb (past/dictionary form) + 甲斐がない／甲斐もなく
- 協力の甲斐もなく、失敗した
- "Despite my effort, it failed."
Further Reading
- 甲斐がある (JLPT N2) | Bunpro – Japanese Grammar Explained (bunpro.jp)
- 【JLPT N２】文法・例文：〜かいあって / 〜かいもなく (nihongokyoshi-net.com)
- 【Ｎ２文法】～甲斐がある／～甲斐があって／～甲斐がない／～甲斐もなく (mainichi-nonbiri.com)
- 【JLPT N2】「かいがある」「がいがある」 (jn1et.com)
Examples
Worth making a meal with 〜甲斐がある
薫る花は凛と咲く » Volume 3 » Page 172 Rintaro’s mother is overjoyed when her son has friends over for the first time in his life. She prepares a large meal for them to eat.
- 絢斗:
- 「すごく美味しいです！」
- “This is incredibly delicious!”
- 杏子:
- 「よく食べるわね！ 作りがいがあるわー」
- “You sure do eat a lot! It makes cooking worthwhile!”
Worth selecting a costume with 〜がいある
藤原くんはだいたい正しい » Volume 1 » Page 172 As a member of the student council, Hitsuji comes up with the idea of having a cosplay theme to help build up excitement among students for the school’s sports day. However, Fujiwara, the student council president, fails to dress up.
Upon hearing him say he doesn’t has a costume prepared, one of the drama club students suggests he pick from their club’s costumes. While Fujiwara isn’t enthusiastic at the prospect of dressing up, Hitsuji is excited by the club’s wide selection.
- ヒツジ:
- 「これだけあると選びがいあるね！！一番似合うの見つけろね！」
- “When there are this many, it's worth it to choose from! Let's find the one that suits you best!”
Worth teasing with 〜甲斐がある
からかい上手の高木さん » Volume 2 » Page 141 Takagi teases Nishikata, causing him to jump up from his chair and get scolded by the teacher. After sitting back down, Nishikata demands to know why Takagi is laughing.
- 高木:
- 「西片ってホントからかい甲斐があるねぇ。」
- “Teasing you really is worth it.”
- 登る甲斐があると思う
