Breakdown of Новая грамматическая тема: конструкция «стоит / не стоит + инфинитив» для советов и оценок.
новый
new
и
and
не
not
для
for
Questions & Answers about Новая грамматическая тема: конструкция «стоит / не стоит + инфинитив» для советов и оценок.
Does стоит here mean “cost,” like сколько стоит?
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.”