Valoir is the French verb for being worth something — whether in price, in effort, in moral value, or in comparison. Cette voiture vaut dix mille euros (this car is worth ten thousand euros). Ça ne vaut pas la peine (it's not worth the trouble). Il vaut mieux partir tôt (it's better to leave early). Que vaut ce restaurant ? (what's this restaurant like? — literally, what is it worth?).
The verb is irregular in three places: the present indicative (singular vaux/vaux/vaut, plural valons/valez/valent), the futur and conditional (stem vaudr-), and the subjunctive (singular and 3pl vaill-; nous/vous keep the regular stem val-). On top of that, the impersonal il vaut mieux construction is one of the most useful B1-level structures in French — it gives learners a third way to express should / it's better to, alongside devrais and il faudrait.
This page is the full reference: every paradigm, every compound tense, the major uses with examples, and the idioms that make valoir indispensable.
The simple tenses
Présent de l'indicatif
The present has the classic 3e-groupe stem alternation: vau- / vaut- in the singular, val- in the plural.
| Person | Form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| je | vaux | /vo/ |
| tu | vaux | /vo/ |
| il / elle / on | vaut | /vo/ |
| nous | valons | /valɔ̃/ |
| vous | valez | /vale/ |
| ils / elles | valent | /val/ |
The 1sg / 2sg / 3sg are perfectly homophonous /vo/. The 1sg / 2sg take -x (parallel to je peux, je veux); the 3sg takes -t. This -x in the singular is what marks valoir as belonging to the small set of vouloir / pouvoir / valoir irregulars.
Cet appartement vaut largement plus que ce qu'on en demande.
This apartment is worth way more than what they're asking.
Tu vaux mieux que ça — ne te laisse pas marcher dessus.
You're worth more than that — don't let yourself be walked over.
Combien valent ces baskets ?
How much are these sneakers worth?
The phrase tu vaux mieux que ça (you deserve better) is a common register-of-encouragement use — valoir with a comparative.
Imparfait
Built on the plural stem val- plus the regular imparfait endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | valais |
| tu | valais |
| il / elle / on | valait |
| nous | valions |
| vous | valiez |
| ils / elles | valaient |
À l'époque, un studio à Paris valait à peine cent mille francs.
Back then, a studio in Paris was worth barely a hundred thousand francs.
Il valait mieux ne rien dire — la situation était tendue.
It was better to say nothing — the situation was tense.
Passé simple (literary)
Stem val- with the -us- class endings (note the circumflex on nous / vous).
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | valus |
| tu | valus |
| il / elle / on | valut |
| nous | valûmes |
| vous | valûtes |
| ils / elles | valurent |
Cette victoire lui valut une décoration militaire.
That victory earned him a military decoration. (literary)
That last sentence shows a very common valoir construction: X vaut Y à Z = X earns Y for Z (X gets Z the reward Y). Productive in journalistic and literary writing.
Futur simple
The stem is irregular: vaudr- (parallel to faudr- from falloir and voudr- from vouloir).
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | vaudrai |
| tu | vaudras |
| il / elle / on | vaudra |
| nous | vaudrons |
| vous | vaudrez |
| ils / elles | vaudront |
Cette propriété vaudra le double dans dix ans, j'en suis sûr.
This property will be worth double in ten years — I'm sure of it.
Il vaudra mieux que tu prennes ton parapluie.
It'll be better if you take your umbrella.
Conditionnel présent
Same vaudr- stem as the futur, with imparfait endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | vaudrais |
| tu | vaudrais |
| il / elle / on | vaudrait |
| nous | vaudrions |
| vous | vaudriez |
| ils / elles | vaudraient |
The conditional il vaudrait mieux is the soft "we'd better / it would be better to" construction — extremely common in everyday speech.
Il vaudrait mieux qu'on rentre, il commence à pleuvoir.
We'd better head home — it's starting to rain.
Ça vaudrait peut-être la peine d'essayer une autre approche.
It might be worth trying a different approach.
Subjonctif présent
This is the trickiest part of valoir's paradigm. The singular and 3pl use the irregular stem vaill-; the nous / vous forms revert to the regular val-. The pattern parallels vouloir (veuille / voulions).
| Person | Form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| (que) je | vaille | /vaj/ |
| (que) tu | vailles | /vaj/ |
| (qu')il / elle / on | vaille | /vaj/ |
| (que) nous | valions | /valjɔ̃/ |
| (que) vous | valiez | /valje/ |
| (qu')ils / elles | vaillent | /vaj/ |
The vaill- stem is pronounced /vaj/ — the -ill- sequence here is the yod (palatal glide), the same sound as in travail, fille, réveiller. Don't pronounce the l as /l/.
Je doute que cet investissement vaille vraiment le risque.
I doubt this investment is really worth the risk.
Bien que ce tableau ne vaille pas grand-chose, j'y tiens énormément.
Even though this painting isn't worth much, I'm very attached to it.
The 1pl/2pl forms revert to the regular val- stem (que nous valions, que vous valiez) — spelled identically to the imparfait, with context disambiguating.
Impératif
The imperative of valoir exists but is essentially never used. We list it for completeness.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (tu) | vaux |
| (nous) | valons |
| (vous) | valez |
Participles and gérondif
- Participe passé: valu (invariable when used with avoir + indirect object — see below)
- Participe présent: valant
- Gérondif: en valant
The participle valu deserves a note on agreement. In the construction X a valu Y à Z (X earned Z the prize Y), the participle does not agree with anything — valu stays invariable. This is because the direct object (Y) is the prize, not the recipient, and it follows the verb. Standard agreement rules apply.
Cette performance lui a valu le prix Goncourt.
That performance earned her the Goncourt prize.
The compound tenses
Valoir uses avoir as its auxiliary.
Passé composé
avoir (présent) + valu
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| j' | ai valu |
| tu | as valu |
| il / elle / on | a valu |
| nous | avons valu |
| vous | avez valu |
| ils / elles | ont valu |
Sa franchise lui a valu beaucoup d'ennemis au bureau.
His frankness has earned him a lot of enemies at the office.
Ça a vraiment valu le détour, ce restaurant.
That restaurant was really worth the trip.
Plus-que-parfait
avoir (imparfait) + valu
Le tableau avait valu une fortune avant de disparaître.
The painting had been worth a fortune before it disappeared.
Futur antérieur
avoir (futur) + valu
À ce rythme, sa thèse lui aura valu plus d'ennuis que de récompenses.
At this rate, his thesis will have earned him more trouble than rewards.
Conditionnel passé
avoir (conditionnel) + valu
Il aurait mieux valu + infinitive = it would have been better to. A polite past-counterfactual that English speakers reach for as we should have.
Il aurait mieux valu réserver à l'avance, on a fait deux heures de queue.
It would have been better to book ahead — we waited in line for two hours.
Ça aurait valu la peine d'essayer, on ne saura jamais.
It would have been worth a try — we'll never know.
The core uses
1. To be worth (price, market value)
The literal meaning. Valoir + price = to be worth (a sum of money).
Cette montre vaut une petite fortune.
This watch is worth a small fortune.
L'euro vaut combien en dollars en ce moment ?
What's the euro worth in dollars right now?
2. To be worth (figurative, qualitative)
Valoir extends naturally from price to general worth, merit, or value.
Cet argument ne vaut rien, il faut trouver mieux.
This argument is worthless — we need a better one.
Que vaut ce film, à ton avis ?
What's this film like, in your opinion? (literally: what is it worth?)
The question que vaut X ? is a very common idiomatic way to ask "what's X like / how good is X?"
3. To earn / get (X vaut Y à Z)
When something gets you a result — good or bad — valoir is the verb. The structure is X vaut Y à Z: X earns Z the result Y.
Sa générosité lui a valu l'admiration de tous.
His generosity has earned him everyone's admiration.
Cette erreur lui a valu un avertissement de la direction.
That mistake earned her a warning from management.
Que me vaut l'honneur de votre visite ?
To what do I owe the honor of your visit? (formal/polite)
That last sentence is a fixed politeness formula, slightly old-fashioned and ironic in modern usage.
4. il vaut mieux + infinitive — it's better to
The most useful impersonal use. Il vaut mieux + infinitive = it's better to / one had better. Functions as a recommendation, parallel to il faut (must) but softer.
Il vaut mieux y aller en métro, c'est plus rapide.
It's better to go by subway — it's faster.
Il vaut mieux prévenir que guérir.
Better safe than sorry. (literally: better to prevent than to cure — fixed proverb)
The proverb il vaut mieux prévenir que guérir is one of the most-cited French idioms — direct equivalent of English better safe than sorry.
5. il vaut mieux que + subjunctive — it's better that
When the recommendation has a specific subject, switch to il vaut mieux que + subjunctive. Parallel to il faut que + subjunctive.
Il vaut mieux que tu rentres maintenant, il se fait tard.
You'd better head home now — it's getting late.
Il vaudrait mieux qu'on parte avant les embouteillages.
It'd be better if we left before the traffic.
6. ça vaut le coup / ça en vaut la peine — it's worth it
Two near-synonymous idioms for it's worth it / worth the effort. Both extremely common.
Le voyage est long mais ça vaut le coup, je te jure.
The trip is long but it's worth it, I promise. (informal)
Ça en vaut la peine de se lever tôt pour voir le lever du soleil.
It's worth getting up early to see the sunrise.
The two expressions differ slightly:
- Ça vaut le coup is more colloquial — peer-to-peer, casual.
- Ça en vaut la peine is more neutral — usable in writing or formal speech.
Both can take que + subjunctive: ça vaut le coup que tu y ailles (it's worth your going).
7. ne rien valoir / ne pas valoir grand-chose — to be worthless
The negative idioms are equally productive.
Cette idée ne vaut rien, on doit en trouver une autre.
That idea is no good — we need to find another one.
Ce vin ne vaut pas grand-chose, mais on n'avait que ça au frigo.
This wine isn't great, but it's all we had in the fridge.
High-frequency idioms with valoir
A short reference list of the most-cited valoir idioms in everyday French:
- Il vaut mieux — it's better to (impersonal recommendation)
- Mieux vaut — same as il vaut mieux, more compact (proverbs/literary)
- Vaut mieux — colloquial truncation of il vaut mieux (very informal)
- Ça vaut le coup — it's worth it (informal)
- Ça en vaut la peine — it's worth the trouble (neutral)
- Ça vaut le détour — it's worth the trip / worth going out of your way (Michelin-guide origin)
- À valoir sur — to be applied to / against (financial: an advance "à valoir sur" the final bill)
- Faire valoir X — to assert / claim X (rights, opinions): faire valoir ses droits
- Se faire valoir — to put oneself forward / show off
- Vaille que vaille — come what may, somehow or other (literary/set phrase)
Vaille que vaille, on terminera ce projet avant la fin de l'année.
Come what may, we'll finish this project before year-end.
Cette exposition vaut vraiment le détour, je te la recommande.
This exhibition is really worth the trip — I recommend it.
Comparison with English
Three friction points:
English uses be worth
- gerund (worth doing); French uses valoir la peine de
- infinitive or valoir le coup de
- infinitive.
- infinitive or valoir le coup de
- gerund (worth doing); French uses valoir la peine de
Il vaut mieux has no clean English single-word equivalent. Translations include it's better to, we'd better, we should, the best thing is to. Don't try to map to one English form; treat the French as its own idiom.
The construction X vaut Y à Z (X earns Z the result Y) is harder to translate. English typically uses earn (it earned him a fortune) or get (it got him in trouble). French valoir covers both with one verb, and the recipient is always indirect (lui, me, nous).
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Conjugating the futur on the infinitive valoir- instead of the irregular stem vaudr-.
❌ Cet appartement valoira beaucoup plus dans dix ans.
Wrong — the futur stem of *valoir* is irregular: *vaudr-*. Form: *vaudra*.
✅ Cet appartement vaudra beaucoup plus dans dix ans.
This apartment will be worth a lot more in ten years.
Mistake 2: Using indicative after il vaut mieux que.
❌ Il vaut mieux que tu pars maintenant.
Wrong — *il vaut mieux que* triggers the subjunctive: *que tu partes*.
✅ Il vaut mieux que tu partes maintenant.
You'd better leave now.
Mistake 3: Using de after valoir before an infinitive.
❌ Il vaut mieux de partir tôt.
Wrong — *il vaut mieux* takes a bare infinitive, no preposition. *Ça vaut la peine de* + inf is the construction with *de*; *il vaut mieux* takes no preposition.
✅ Il vaut mieux partir tôt.
It's better to leave early.
Mistake 4: Wrong subjunctive form (regular vale instead of irregular vaille).
❌ Je doute que ça vale le coup.
Wrong — the subjunctive of *valoir* is *vaille*, not *vale*. The 3sg subjunctive is *qu'il vaille*, parallel to *qu'il veuille* and *qu'il faille*.
✅ Je doute que ça vaille le coup.
I doubt it's worth it.
Mistake 5: Forgetting the en of ça en vaut la peine.
❌ Ça vaut la peine pour le voir.
Awkward — when *la peine* refers back to a prior topic, French uses *en* to mean 'the trouble of doing that': *ça en vaut la peine*. Without *en*, the sentence sounds incomplete.
✅ Ça en vaut la peine, vraiment.
It's worth it, really.
Key takeaways
Valoir is irregular in three places: the singular present (vaux/vaux/vaut), the futur and conditional (vaudr-), and the subjunctive (singular and 3pl vaill-; nous/vous val-). The parallel with vouloir and falloir is exact — same kind of three-stem alternation.
Six idiomatic patterns cover most everyday uses: valoir + price (literal), valoir + qualitative (figurative), X vaut Y à Z (earn/get), il vaut mieux + infinitive (it's better to), il vaut mieux que + subjunctive (it's better that), ça vaut le coup / ça en vaut la peine (it's worth it). Master these and you handle 95 percent of valoir's real-world usage.
For English speakers, the standout structures are il vaut mieux (no clean English equivalent — the closest is we'd better) and X vaut Y à Z (the "earn" construction). Both are productive in journalistic and conversational French alike. Don't try to force them into English templates; learn them as their own patterns.
Now practice French
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning French→Related Topics
- Falloir: Full Verb ReferenceA1 — Falloir is the workhorse verb of necessity in French — the source of il faut, il fallait, il faudra, il faudrait, and the subjunctive trigger qu'il faille. It exists only in the third-person singular with il as a dummy subject. This page is the full reference: every form (there are not many), every construction, and the four ways il faut can attach to what follows.
- Devoir: Full Verb ReferenceA1 — Devoir is the verb of obligation, deduction, and debt — must, have to, should, ought, owe. The conditional je devrais is the standard French equivalent of should, and the conditionnel passé j'aurais dû is the only natural way to say should have. This page is the full reference: every paradigm, every compound tense, the core uses, and the idioms.
- Le Subjonctif: Irregular StemsB1 — The eight high-frequency irregular verbs in the French subjunctive — être, avoir, aller, faire, savoir, pouvoir, vouloir, valoir — plus the impersonal-only falloir and pleuvoir. Memorization is required, but the patterns simplify with the right grouping.
- Impersonal Verbs: OverviewA2 — French uses a dummy 'il' as the subject of a class of verbs whose 'subject' refers to nothing in particular: il pleut (it's raining), il faut (it is necessary), il y a (there is/are), il est huit heures (it's eight o'clock), il s'agit de... (it's about...). The 'il' is purely grammatical — it doesn't refer to a person or thing. This page maps the impersonal-verb system: weather, existence, necessity, time, and the productive pattern of impersonalizing ordinary verbs (il manque trois étudiants — three students are missing).
- Devrais: How to Say 'Should' in FrenchA2 — There is no separate French word for 'should' — the conditionnel of devoir does the entire job. Learn how tu devrais softens advice, why it replaces tu dois in adult speech, and how to say 'should have' with aurais dû.
- Stratégies de Recommandation: conseiller, suggérer, devraisB1 — Ten ways to recommend or advise in French — conseiller à qqn de + INF, devrais + INF, il vaut mieux, et si on...?, pourquoi ne pas...? — each carrying its own register from intimate to professional and its own degree of pressure on the listener.