Signification
Something is not worth the effort.
Contexte culturel
Finns value 'sisu' (perseverance), but they also value 'järkevyys' (sensibleness). Saying something isn't worth the effort is seen as a sign of intelligence and practical wisdom, not laziness. In Finnish meetings, people are very direct. If a project is failing, someone will likely say 'Tämä ei ole vaivan arvoista' quite early to save resources. The phrase is deeply tied to the history of farming. If the soil was too rocky, it wasn't worth the 'vaiva' to plow it.
The 'Oo' Shortcut
In spoken Finnish (puhekieli), use 'Ei se oo vaivan arvosta' to sound like a local.
Don't be too lazy
If you say this to a teacher about homework, they will think you are rude, not just pragmatic!
Signification
Something is not worth the effort.
The 'Oo' Shortcut
In spoken Finnish (puhekieli), use 'Ei se oo vaivan arvosta' to sound like a local.
Don't be too lazy
If you say this to a teacher about homework, they will think you are rude, not just pragmatic!
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing word in the correct case.
Tämä vanha tietokone on rikki. Sen korjaaminen ei ole ______ arvoista.
The word 'arvoinen' requires the genitive case, which is 'vaivan'.
Which sentence is the most natural way to say 'It's not worth the effort' in a casual conversation?
Ystäväsi haluaa kävellä 5 kilometriä sateessa säästääkseen 1 euron.
This is the standard, grammatically correct form.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Pitäisikö meidän maalata tämä koko talo tänään? B: Se on liian iso urakka yhdelle päivälle. ______.
B is explaining why they shouldn't do it, so the negative form is needed.
🎉 Score : /3
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
3 exercicesTämä vanha tietokone on rikki. Sen korjaaminen ei ole ______ arvoista.
The word 'arvoinen' requires the genitive case, which is 'vaivan'.
Ystäväsi haluaa kävellä 5 kilometriä sateessa säästääkseen 1 euron.
This is the standard, grammatically correct form.
A: Pitäisikö meidän maalata tämä koko talo tänään? B: Se on liian iso urakka yhdelle päivälle. ______.
B is explaining why they shouldn't do it, so the negative form is needed.
🎉 Score : /3
Questions fréquentes
2 questionsYes, but it's very harsh. 'Hän ei ole vaivan arvoinen' means 'He/she is not worth the trouble.' Use with caution!
'Arvoista' is the partitive form, used for abstract 'it' (ei se ole...). 'Arvoinen' is the nominative, used when the subject is a specific noun (Tämä kirja on vaivan arvoinen).
Expressions liées
ei maksa vaivaa
synonymIt doesn't pay the effort.
hukkaan heitettyä aikaa
similarTime thrown to waste.
helmiä sioille
relatedPearls before swine.
