犯
fàn
To commit (a crime)
犯不着 (fàn bù zháo) vs 犯得着 (fàn dé zháo) — worth doing or not
Subject + 犯不着 (fànbuzháo) + Verb; Action/Context + 犯得着 (fàndezháo) + 吗 (ma)?
HSK 7–93.0
Pattern diagram
Who / what犯不着Action
Clause，犯得着Action吗
Rule structure
犯不着 (fànbuzháo) means “it’s not worth it, there’s no point”, judging whether an action is worthwhile. 犯得着 (fàndezháo) normally appears in a question, often rhetorical: 为这点小事生气 (wéi zhè diǎn xiǎo shì shēng qì)，犯得着吗 (fàn dé zháo ma) (Wèi zhè diǎn xiǎoshì shēngqì, fàndezháo ma), “Is it worth getting angry over such a small thing?”. The speaker usually implies that it is not. These forms are colloquial.
Rule structure
犯不着 (fànbuzháo) means “it’s not worth it, there’s no point”, judging whether an action is worthwhile. 犯得着 (fàndezháo) normally appears in a question, often rhetorical: 为这点小事生气 (wéi zhè diǎn xiǎo shì shēng qì)，犯得着吗 (fàn dé zháo ma) (Wèi zhè diǎn xiǎoshì shēngqì, fàndezháo ma), “Is it worth getting angry over such a small thing?”. The speaker usually implies that it is not. These forms are colloquial.
Examples
你犯不着为这点小事生气。
Nǐ fànbuzháo wèi zhè diǎn xiǎoshì shēngqì.
It’s not worth getting angry over such a small thing.
Examples
你犯不着为这点小事生气。
Nǐ fànbuzháo wèi zhè diǎn xiǎoshì shēngqì.
It’s not worth getting angry over such a small thing.
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Words from this rule
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “worth doing or not” in Chinese with 犯不着 vs 犯得着?
Use the structure: Subject + 犯不着 (fànbuzháo) + Verb; Action/Context + 犯得着 (fàndezháo) + 吗 (ma)?. For example: 你犯不着为这点小事生气。 — “It’s not worth getting angry over such a small thing”.
What is an example sentence with this grammar rule?
你犯不着为这点小事生气。 — “It’s not worth getting angry over such a small thing”.
Which HSK level includes this grammar rule?
This grammar rule is part of HSK 3.0 Levels 7–9.
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More HSK 3.0 Levels 7–9 grammar rules
巴不得 vs 恨不得 — strong wishes
Subj. + 巴不得 (bābude) / 恨不得 (hènbude) + Verb
可 — evaluative judgment
Subj. + 可谓 (kěwèi) + Adj. / Noun
可否 — formal “could you…” request
可否 (kěfǒu) + Verb
免不了 — inevitable, unavoidable
Subj. + 免不了 (miǎnbuliǎo) + Verb / Adj.
向来 — always previously
Subj. + 向来 (xiànglái) + Verb / Adj.
偏 — contrary to expectations
Subj. + 偏偏 (piānpiān) + Verb (undesirable coincidence)
无非 — nothing but
无非 (wúfēi) + Noun / Clause (dismissive)
何必 — why bother
何必 (hébì) + Verb Phrase (rhetorical, unnecessary)