Learn Hardcore Russian: Новая грамматическая тема: конструкция «стоит / не стоит + инфинитив» для советов и оценок. - New grammar topic: the construction “стоит / не стоит + infinitive” for advice and evaluation.

In this construction, стоит + infinitive does not mean “to cost.” It means “it’s worth (doing)” / “it makes sense (to do)” as advice or evaluation.

Сколько стоит? = “How much does it cost?” (literal “cost” meaning)
Стоит попробовать. = “It’s worth trying.” (advice/evaluation meaning)

Why is it стоит (3rd person singular) even when we’re talking about “I/you/we”?

Because this is usually an impersonal pattern: the “subject” is not a person but an implied idea like “it” / “it would be worthwhile.” Russian often uses 3rd person singular for such general evaluations.
You can still specify who the advice is for with the dative:

Тебе стоит отдохнуть. = “You should / It’s worth it for you to rest.”

How do I say “You should…” with this structure?

Use (кому) стоит + infinitive (dative person + стоит):

Тебе стоит поговорить с ним. = “You should talk to him / It’s worth talking to him.”
Вам стоит подождать. = “You should wait.”

Without the dative, it sounds more general:

Стоит подождать. = “It’s worth waiting.”

How do I make it negative? Is не стоит strong or polite?

Negation is straightforward: не стоит + infinitive = “it’s not worth (doing)” / “you shouldn’t (do it)”.
It’s often softer than a direct command, but it can still be firm depending on context/intonation.

Не стоит волноваться. = “You shouldn’t worry.” (often calming, polite)
Тебе не стоит туда идти. = “You really shouldn’t go there.” (can be firm)

Can I change the tense—like “it was worth” or “it will be worth”?

Yes, стоить can be used in past/future, though advice is most common in the present:

Стоило попробовать. = “It was worth trying.”
Не стоило говорить это. = “You shouldn’t have said that / It wasn’t worth saying that.”
Будет стоить проверить. = “It will be worth checking.”

Note: Не стоило + infinitive is a very common way to express regret/criticism about a past action.

What aspect should the infinitive be: imperfective or perfective?

Both are possible; choose based on meaning (just like usual aspect choice):

Imperfective for process, general activity, repeated action:
- Стоит читать больше. = “It’s worth reading more.” (general habit)
Perfective for a single complete action/result:
- Стоит прочитать эту статью. = “It’s worth reading (through) this article.” (one completed read)

How does this differ from надо / нужно / следует / лучше?

They overlap but feel different:

надо / нужно = necessity/obligation (“must/need to”)
следует = more formal “one should”
лучше = “it’s better to…” (comparative preference)
стоит = value/recommendation (“worth doing,” “makes sense”)

Examples:

Надо идти. = “We must go.”
Лучше уйти сейчас. = “Better to leave now.”
Стоит уйти сейчас. = “It’s worth leaving now (good idea because it pays off).”

Can I add reasons like “because…” and does word order matter?

Yes, reasons are very common, and word order is flexible but not random:

Стоит купить билет заранее, потому что… = “It’s worth buying a ticket in advance because…”
Потому что…, стоит купить билет заранее. (possible, more “set-up” style)

You can also place emphasis by fronting key info:

Тебе стоит сейчас позвонить. (emphasis on you)
Сейчас стоит позвонить. (emphasis on now)

Is стоит used more in spoken Russian or written Russian? Is it formal?

It’s neutral and common in both speech and writing.

стоит / не стоит sounds natural in everyday advice.
For a more formal tone, people may choose следует or целесообразно, but стоит is not informal or slang.

How do I pronounce it, and where is the stress?

Stress is стоИт (on the second syllable).

стоИт = “is worth”
стоИло, стоИли (past forms) keep stress on и as well.