Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| valoir la peine | /va.lwaʁ la pɛn/ |
| valoir le coup | /va.lwaʁ lə ku/ |
You can use the structure Ça vaut le coup de followed by an infinitive verb to say 'It is worth [doing something]'.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, valoir la peine means 'to be worth the pain' or 'to be worth the trouble'. The phrase valoir le coup translates to 'to be worth the blow' or 'to be worth the shot'.
Which one should you use?
Valoir la peine is slightly more formal and is often used when discussing significant effort or emotional investment. In contrast, valoir le coup is more colloquial and is frequently used for everyday experiences, such as trying a new restaurant or seeing a movie. The phrase Ça mérite le détour is a specific informal expression used when something is worth going out of your way for.
How does it change in a sentence?
The third-person singular conjugation of the verb valoir is vaut. When you want to say 'it is worth it' by referring to an action that was previously mentioned, you often add the pronoun en before the verb: Ça en vaut la peine or Ça en vaut le coup.
How do you pronounce it?
/va.lwaʁ la pɛn/
Did you know?
- The word peine shares a linguistic history with the English word 'pain' and descends from the Ancient Greek term for 'bloodmoney'.
Examples in context
- Cette opportunité mérite d'être exploitée.This opportunity is worth taking advantage of.
- Cette formation vaut chaque euro dépensé.This training is worth every euro spent.
- Ce restaurant est incroyable, ça vaut vraiment le coup d'y aller.This restaurant is amazing, it's really worth going there.
- J'ai regardé ce film hier soir, ça en vaut la peine.I watched this movie last night, it's worth it.
- Ce parc majestueux mérite le détour si tu visites la région.This majestic park is worth a visit if you're touring the region.
- Ça vaut vraiment le coup d'assister à ce concert, la musique est incroyable.It's really worth going to this concert, the music is incredible.
- Ça va valoir la peine.It will be worth it.
- Est-ce que ça va valoir la peine ?Is it going to be worth it?
- Le trajet ne va pas valoir la peine.The trip won't be worth it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “worth it” translations and entries valoir la peine, valoir le coup, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries coup, la, le, peine, valoir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
