Breakdown of Lohnt sich die Mühe?
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
die Mühe
the effort
sich lohnen
to be worth it
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Questions & Answers about Lohnt sich die Mühe?
Why do we need the reflexive pronoun sich here?
In German, the verb sich lohnen is used to mean 'to be worth it' or 'to pay off'. While English simply says 'is it worth it', German literally asks if the action or effort rewards itself.
Is die Mühe the subject or the object of this sentence?
die Mühe is the subject, which is why it is in the nominative case. In a yes/no question, the subject follows the conjugated verb, giving us Lohnt sich die Mühe? (Literally: Does the effort reward itself?).
Can I use lohnen without sich?
It is possible but much less common in everyday speech. When used without sich, lohnen means 'to reward' someone. To express that a situation or action is 'worth it', always stick to the reflexive sich lohnen.
How would I use this verb to say 'it is worth it' to do an action?
You will very often see sich lohnen combined with a zu infinitive clause. For example, you can say Es lohnt sich, früh aufzustehen (It is worth it to get up early).