modality N1 uncommon written
〜に足らない — not worth ~ing
〜に足らない ・ にたらない
Builds on 〜に足る
Meaning
- not worth ~ing / not enough to warrant ~ / insignificant — falls short of the level that would make ~ worthwhile
Key sentence
そんな噂は、取るに足らない。
A rumor like that isn't worth taking seriously.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb dictionary form (or noun) | V-る + に足らない | 恐れるに足らない / 取るに足らない |
When: Formal/written and often dismissive; most common in the set phrase 取るに足らない 'trivial, negligible'. The affirmative 〜に足る means 'worth ~ing / sufficient to'.
Examples
彼の批判など、恐れるに足らない。
His criticism is nothing to be afraid of.
それは議論するに足らない問題だ。
That's an issue not worth debating.
Easily confused with
Notes
- 〜に足りない is a common everyday variant of 〜に足らない; the positive base 〜に足る ('worth ~ing / sufficient') also appears in 信じるに足る '(something) worthy of belief'.
See 〜に足らない in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜に足らない the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.