What level is The Irregular Verb Valoir & Cost‑Benefit Idioms?

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French Conjugation

The Irregular Verb Valoir & Cost‑Benefit Idioms

Mastering valoir across all tenses, focusing on idiomatic business formulas like il vaut mieux.

Level B2 Category Conjugation

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Lesson Summary

Mastering valoir across all tenses, focusing on idiomatic business formulas like il vaut mieux.

Conjugation

The Verb of Value

Valoir means “to be worth”. It is highly irregular and appears in many idiomatic expressions for evaluating options, making recommendations, and comparing alternatives. Its conjugation must be memorised.

Present, Passé Composé, Futur of Valoir

Subject	Present	Passé Composé	Futur Simple
je / j'	vaux	j’ai valu	je vaudrai
tu	vaux	tu as valu	tu vaudras
il / elle / on	vaut	il a valu	il vaudra
nous	valons	nous avons valu	nous vaudrons
vous	valez	vous avez valu	vous vaudrez
ils / elles	valent	ils ont valu	ils vaudront

Other Key Tenses

Tense / Mood	Form (il)	Example
imparfait	il valait	Ce quartier valait moins cher avant la gentrification.
conditionnel présent	il vaudrait	Il vaudrait mieux investir dans le logement social.
subjonctif présent	qu’il vaille	Il est important que ce projet vaille l’investissement.

Essential Idioms

The verb valoir is the foundation of several high‑frequency expressions.

1. Il vaut mieux + infinitive (It is better to…): Il vaut mieux densifier les villes que de les étaler.
2. Il vaudrait mieux + infinitive (It would be better to…, a softer recommendation): Il vaudrait mieux consulter les habitants avant de décider.
3. Valoir la peine (to be worth the effort): Ce projet vaut la peine d’être défendu.
4. Valoir le coup (colloquial: to be worth it): Ça vaut le coup d’essayer.
5. Se valoir (to be equal in value): Les deux solutions se valent.

Examples

Il vaudrait mieux lutter contre l'étalement urbain que de construire de nouvelles routes.
The conditional il vaudrait mieux is followed by two infinitives.
Les deux politiques se valent en termes d'efficacité à court terme.
The reciprocal use of se valoir indicates equivalence.

Related searches

These are the main phrases this lesson covers:

The Irregular Verb Valoir & Cost‑Benefit IdiomsMastering valoir across all tenses, focusing on idiomatic business formulas like il vaut mieux.Conduct comparative value assessments and present structured recommendations.ConjugationB2conjugationLearn French ConjugationFrench ConjugationThe Verb of ValueValoir means “to be worth”. It is highly irregular and appears in many idiomatic expressions for evaluating options, making recommendations, and comparing alternatives. Its conjugation must be memorised.