Japanese with Manga

Worth it with

Grammar: Appraisal

The noun 甲斐(かい) means “worth” or “effect”. 甲斐(かい)がある says that the time or effort spent on something produced a worthwhile result. In English, it often means “be worth doing” or “pay off”.

Usage Notes

Use 〜甲斐(かい)がある when a result justifies hard work, practice, waiting, or another investment of time. The negative form 〜甲斐(かい)がない means “not worth it” or “pointless”.

After a noun, add の: 「noun の甲斐(かい)がある」. A preceding verb may use its dictionary form (待(ま)つ), completed form (待(ま)った), or stem (待(ま)ち). After a verb stem, かい becomes がい. Writers often use hiragana instead of the kanji, and speakers may drop 「が」.

Formation

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  1. Verb (dictionary form) + 甲斐がある
    • 登(のぼ)る甲斐(かい)があると思(おも)う
    • "I think it's worth climbing."
  2. Verb (past tense) + 甲斐がある
    • 協力(きょうりょく)した甲斐(かい)があった
    • "My effort paid off."
  3. Verb stem + がい + がある
    • 教(おし)えがいがある
    • "It's rewarding to teach."
  4. Noun + の + 甲斐がある
    • 準備(じゅんび)の甲斐(かい)がある
    • "The preparation was worthwhile."
  5. Negative form: Verb (past/dictionary form) + 甲斐がない／甲斐もなく
    • 協力(きょうりょく)の甲斐(かい)もなく、失敗(しっぱい)した
    • "Despite my effort, it failed."

Further Reading

Examples

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Worth making a meal with 〜甲斐がある

Grammar Explanation: Worth it with 〜甲斐がある

Manga panel from 薫る花は凛と咲く showing example of 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(あやと):
「すごく美味(おい)しいです！」
“This is incredibly delicious!”
杏子(きょうこ):
「よく食(た)べるわね！　作(つく)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

Grammar Explanation: Worth it with 〜甲斐がある

Manga panel from 藤原くんはだいたい正しい showing example of 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(えら)びがいあるね！！一番(いちばん)似(に)合(あ)うの見(み)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

Grammar Explanation: Worth it with 〜甲斐がある

Manga panel from からかい上手の高木さん showing example of 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(たかぎ):
「西片(にしかた)ってホントからかい甲斐(がい)があるねぇ。」
“Teasing you really is worth it.”
Worth the effort to build a garden with 〜甲斐がある
ARIA The MASTERPIECE » Volume 5 » Page 43