Expressions 甲斐かい あって thanks to; because of; it was worth it; it paid off 甲斐かい がある be effective; be worthwhile; pay off 甲斐かい がない useless; in vain; not worth the effort やりがいのある worth doing; rewarding; satisfying Kanji 甲 armor, high (voice), A grade 効 merit, efficacy, efficiency 詮 discussion, methods called for, selection Related words 価値 is the general word for worth or value of anything, while 甲斐 specifically means the rewarding result that makes an effort feel worthwhile.
効果 refers to an objective effect or result, while 甲斐 highlights the subjective sense of satisfaction gained from making an effort.
甲斐 (as the suffix ~がい , e.g. やりがい ) and 応え (as in やり応え ) both attach to verb stems to mean 'worth doing', though がい is somewhat more common in casual speech.
Word family· 14 rewarding feeling; sense of fulfillment; worthwhile effort
good-for-nothing; spineless; pathetic; disappointing
resourcefulness; ability to get things done; dependability
one's age; age-appropriate behavior
brisk and efficient; diligent; devoted; spirited
Show 9 more Show fewer worth doing; rewarding feeling; sense of satisfaction
Kai-ji grape; bright red table grape
true friendship; the value of having a friend
worthless; useless; hopeless
worthless; pointless; useless
worth mentioning; worth saying
worth talking to; rewarding to talk with
reliability; dependability; trustworthiness
good-for-nothing; useless person
Written forms 甲斐かい Usage 66%
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)
Standard ateji spelling; the most common written form.
かい Usage 25%
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially in the phrase 〜したかいがある .
効かい Usage 9%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.
詮かい Usage <1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.
Etymology The historical derivation is uncertain. The kanji 甲斐 is an ateji (phonetic) spelling, and the word is considered a native Japanese term.
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