All verbs

/valwaʁ/to be worthB1

Family
Fully irregular — a law unto itself
Takes
a direct object — Takes a direct object — a value; impersonal il vaut mieux for "it's better to"

Build map — what to memorise

These three pieces are learnt; every other tense is built from them.

The nous form
valons
Presentprésentlearn it whole

Singular — the short stem

Presentprésentfollows the rule

Plural — the nous stem

val-+-ons -ez -ent

Imperfectimparfaitfollows the rule

val-+-ais -ais -ait -ions -iez -aient

Present participleparticipe-présentfollows the rule

val-+-ant

Subjunctivesubjonctif-présent4 exception(s)

Built on ils; nous and vous are the imparfait forms

val-+-e -es -e -ent

  • je vaillethe rule said vale
  • tu vaillesthe rule said vales
  • il vaillethe rule said vale
  • ils vaillentthe rule said valent
Infinitive
valoir
Simple futurefutur-simplestem changes

vaudr-+-ai -as -a -ons -ez -ont

Conditionalconditionnel-présentfollows the rule

Futur stem + imparfait endings

vaudr-+-ais -ais -ait -ions -iez -aient

Near futurefutur-prochefollows the rule

aller + infinitive

valoir

Past participle
valu

Takes avoir

Passé composépassé-composéfollows the rule

avoir (present) + past participle

valu

Pluperfectplus-que-parfaitfollows the rule

Auxiliary in the imparfait + past participle

valu

Conjugation

présent
Ije vaux/ʒə vo/I am worth
youtu vaux/ty vo/you are worth
he/sheil vaut/il vo/he is worth
wenous valons/nu valɔ̃/we are worth
youvous valez/vu vale/you are worth
theyils valent/il val/they are worth

Examples

  • Ça vaut combien ?

    /sa vo kɔ̃.bjɛ̃/

    How much is it worth?

  • Ça vaut la peine.

    /sa vo la pɛn/

    It's worth it.

  • Il vaut mieux partir.

    /il vo mjø paʁ.tiʁ/

    It's better to leave.

Set phrases

  • il vaut mieux

    it's better to

  • ça vaut la peine

    it's worth it

Notes

  • Il vaut mieux + infinitive is the standard "you'd better": Il vaut mieux partir. No de before the verb.

  • Ça vaut la peine and Ça vaut le coup both mean "it's worth it" — the second is more colloquial.