4 · Expressions (level 4)
Worth it, hard to, no choice but
three words that judge an action
Zhíde says an action is worth it, nányǐ says it can hardly be done, bùdébù says there was no way round it.
值得 + verb means “worth doing”: 这本书值得看, “this book is worth reading”. What is worth it stands first, as the subject; the person who would do it is usually not named. 值得 also stands alone as a judgement — 很值得, 不值得 — and takes the set phrase 值得一看, worth a look. The 得 in it is neutral.
难以 + verb means “hard to, hardly possible to”: 难以想象, hard to imagine; 难以接受, hard to accept. It is more written and stronger than 很难, and it wants a verb of two syllables after it: 难以理解, but not 难以懂.
不得不 + verb means “have no choice but to”: 我不得不取消旅行. It is a double negative — literally “not able not to” — and it always carries a note of reluctance: circumstances forced the speaker’s hand. The 得 here is second tone.
English “have to” covers what Chinese splits into 必须 (a rule or a necessity), 得 (spoken, practical) and 不得不 (forced, against one’s wishes). And English “worth” covers both 值得 (worth doing) and plain 值 with a price: 这块表值很多钱, “this watch is worth a lot of money”.
The form
| worth doing | 这部电影值得一看。 |
| not worth it | 不值得 |
| hard to (written) | 难以相信 |
| no choice but | 我不得不走了。 |
| worth a price: zhí | 这块表值多少钱？ |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
Zhíde + verb: what is worth doing stands first, as the subject.
这个地方很值得去。This place is well worth a visit.
Nányǐ + a two-syllable verb: something can hardly be done.
他说的话让人难以相信。What he says is hard to believe.
Bùdébù + verb: forced by circumstances, against one’s wishes.
雨太大了，我们不得不回家。The rain was too heavy; we had no choice but to go home.
For a price, use zhí alone, not zhíde.
这幅画值很多钱。This painting is worth a lot of money.
A closer look
Three ways to say “have to”
明天必须交 — it must be handed in tomorrow: a rule, stated without feeling. 我得走了 — I have to go: everyday and practical. 我不得不走了 — I have no choice but to go: something is forcing the speaker, and they would rather stay.
So 不得不 is the only one of the three that tells a small story about the speaker’s feelings. That is why it suits explanations and apologies, and sounds odd for simple duties such as brushing your teeth.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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the person who should do the action is named
the person stands after 值得, before the verb.
这个问题值得我们认真思考。This question deserves our serious thought.
值得 still says something about the thing; the person is part of what the thing deserves.
How to spot it
- 值得
- 难以
- 不得不
- 值
Example sentences
这本小说写得很好，值得一读。This novel is very well written and worth reading.
为了这点小事吵架，不值得。It is not worth quarrelling over such a small thing.
那天的风景美得难以形容。The scenery that day was beautiful beyond words.
这个决定让很多人难以接受。Many people find this decision hard to accept.
因为生病，她不得不放弃这次比赛。Because she was ill, she had to give up this competition.
末班车已经走了，我不得不打车回家。The last bus had gone, so I had no choice but to take a taxi home.
8 more example sentences
这家饭馆的菜贵是贵，但很值得。The food in this restaurant is expensive, yes, but well worth it.
花这么多钱买一个包，真的值得吗？Is it really worth spending so much money on a bag?
这段经历我难以忘记。This experience is something I can hardly forget.
房间里太吵，他一夜都难以入睡。The room was so noisy that he could hardly sleep all night.
公司收入减少，老板不得不关了两家分店。As income fell, the owner had to close two branches.
我本来不想去，可是老板让我去，我不得不去。I did not want to go, but my boss told me to, so I had to.
这些老信很有意义，值得好好保存。These old letters mean a lot and are worth keeping carefully.
不得不承认，他这次说得对。I have to admit he was right this time.
Worth knowing (1)
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Nányǐ needs a longer verb
难以 is a written word, and written Chinese likes balanced rhythm: two syllables followed by two. A one-syllable verb after it sounds broken off, so either choose a two-syllable verb or a longer verb phrase — or switch to 很难, which takes anything.
这种感觉难以用语言表达。This feeling can hardly be put into words.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
In “this film is worth seeing”, the film is the subject in English too — but under pressure learners make the viewer the subject and the film the object. In Chinese, what is worth it comes first, and the person who would do it is left out.
What is worth it comes first; nányǐ wants two syllables; bùdébù means there was no way out.
Your turn
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