варта + Infinitive

Worth Doing with Варта

Level 4Sounds Like varta + ínfínítyŭ

Варта + infinitive gives friendly advice: Табе варта адпачыць (You should rest). The person goes in the dative.

How It Works

Pattern: (dative person) + варта + infinitive.

  • Варта паспрабаваць. (It is worth trying.)
  • Табе варта адпачыць. (You should rest.)
  • Гэты музей варта наведаць. (This museum is worth visiting.)

Like трэба and можна, варта has no subject and no endings. The person who should act is in the dative: мне, табе, яму, ёй, нам, вам, ім. Without a person, it is general advice.

Не варта means there is no point, or you should not: Не варта хвалявацца. (There is no need to worry.) It sounds softer than нельга.

Past and future. Add было or будзе, as with other impersonal words. Нам варта было выйсці раней means we should have left earlier. Add бы for a gentle suggestion: Варта было б спытаць. (It would be worth asking.)

Варта or варты? The adjective варты agrees with a subject and takes the genitive: Фільм варты ўвагі. The impersonal варта never agrees and takes an infinitive: Фільм варта паглядзець. (The film is worth watching.) Here фільм is the object of паглядзець, not the subject.

In stories. Варта было толькі…, як… means no sooner … than: Варта было толькі выйсці з дому, як пачаўся дождж. (No sooner had I stepped out than it started to rain.)

Examples (6)

  1. Варта паспрабаваць.

    It is worth trying.

    Word by Word: Worth to-try.

  2. Табе варта адпачыць.

    You should rest.

    Word by Word: To-you worth to-rest.

  3. Гэты музей варта наведаць.

    This museum is worth visiting.

    Word by Word: This museum worth to-visit.

  4. Не варта хвалявацца, усё будзе добра.

    There is no need to worry; everything will be fine.

    Word by Word: Not worth to-worry, all will-be well.

  5. Нам варта было выйсці раней.

    We should have left earlier.

    Word by Word: To-us worth was to-leave earlier.

  6. Ці варта браць парасон?

    Is it worth taking an umbrella?

    Word by Word: Whether worth to-take umbrella?

Common Mistakes

  • Making варта agree with a subject in the nominative.

    Ты варты адпачыць.
    Табе варта адпачыць.

    With an infinitive, use the unchanging варта and put the person in the dative. The adjective варты takes a genitive noun, not an infinitive.

  • Putting the person in the nominative.

    Я варта пачакаць.
    Мне варта пачакаць.

    Варта has no subject, just like трэба. The person who should act is in the dative: мне, табе, нам.

  • Translating Russian стоит word for word.

    Стаіць паспрабаваць.
    Варта паспрабаваць.

    Russian uses one verb for costs and is worth. In Belarusian стаяць only means to stand, so it is worth doing is always варта.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

варта + InfinitiveLevel 4Worth Doing with Варта

Learn This First

Worth doing needs варты and трэба.

Words in This Pattern

вартане