🚫💰

How to Say ‘It's not worth it’ in French

Ce n'est pas la peine

suh n eh pah lah PEHN

[suh n eh pah lah PEHN]

💬 Usage Tip: Peine usually means "pain" or "trouble", but this whole phrase means "there's no need". Add a verb to reuse it: Ce n'est pas la peine de réserver "No need to book".

Phrase Breakdown

Ce n'est pas

suh n eh pah

It isn't

A negative of 'c'est'. In speech it often flows as 'se nè pa'. The 's' in 'pas' is silent.

Example

Ce n'est pas loin.

It isn't far.

Words in this phrase

[suh]

This

Used to identify something close or just mentioned.

Example

Ce livre est à moi.

This book is mine.

[n]

not

Shortened form of 'ne', the first part of a negation (ne... pas), used before a vowel.

Example

Il n'y a pas de place.

There is no space.

est

[eh]

Third person singular present of be.

Example

C'est important.

It is important.

pas

[pah]

not

Used with 'ne' to form a negative.

Example

Je ne comprends pas.

I do not understand.

la peine

lah PEHN

worth it / necessary

In this expression 'la peine' means 'the effort'. Say 'la pènn'. Together, 'ce n'est pas la peine' means 'there's no need'.

Example

Ça vaut la peine.

It's worth it.

Words in this phrase

[lah]

the

A definite article preceding a noun.

Example

La porte est ouverte.

The door is open.

peine

[PEHN]

trouble / effort

Here in 'ce n'est pas la peine': it's not worth it, not necessary.

Example

Ce n'est pas la peine de venir.

There's no need to come.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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