Meaning & Usage
に足る (ni taru) is a formal and literary Japanese grammar pattern meaning worthy of, deserving of, or sufficient to. Elevated in register, it belongs to serious literature, newspaper editorials, academic writing, and formal speeches — not to everyday conversation.
The grammar breaks down neatly. The particle に marks a target or purpose, while 足る (taru) is the classical form of 足りる (tariru), meaning to be sufficient. Together, に足る expresses that something meets the threshold — it clears the bar — required for a particular action or judgment.
Put concretely: when someone is 信頼に足る (shinrai ni taru), it means they are sufficient to be trusted — they meet every criterion necessary for trust to be extended. The focus is on clearing a standard, not on some abstract quality of value. That distinction matters.
English covers this territory with phrases like worthy of respect, deserving of praise, sufficient to merit attention, and through adjectives like trustworthy and respectable. に足る packages all of that into a single formal pattern.
に足る is not a conversational expression. You would not use it chatting with a friend at a café. Its natural habitat is formal written Japanese: 新聞の社説 (newspaper editorials), 学術論文 (academic papers), 公式スピーチ (official speeches), and 文学作品 (literary works). In casual speech, it sounds stiff and out of place — like quoting Shakespeare in a text message.
Compare に足る with the related expression に値する (ni atai suru), which also means worthy of or to deserve. The difference is subtle but real. に値する (literally to be equivalent in value to) emphasizes inherent worth or merit. に足る emphasizes that something meets a sufficient threshold or standard. In practice they are often interchangeable, but に足る carries a more classical register and leans toward the idea of clearing a minimum bar.
Picture に足る as a filter of worthiness. One question drives it: does this person, thing, or action pass the test? Is it enough to be trusted, respected, praised, or noticed? If yes — it is に足る.
Structure & Formation
に足る attaches to two types of words. The most common pattern by far is the action noun + に足る form, where the action noun (a verbal noun expressing an action) comes directly before に足る.
| Word Type | Pattern | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Action Noun | Action Noun + に足る | 信頼に足る | worthy of trust |
| Verb (dictionary form) | Verb dict. + に足る | 見るに足る | worthy of watching |
Common action noun collocations include:
- 信頼に足る — worthy of trust
- 尊敬に足る — worthy of respect
- 称賛に足る — worthy of praise
- 注目に足る — worthy of attention
- 考慮に足る — worthy of consideration
- 信用に足る — worthy of credibility
When a full verbal phrase is needed, use the active dictionary form of the verb:
- 見るに足る (miru ni taru) — worthy of watching
- 信頼するに足る (shinrai suru ni taru) — worthy of being trusted
- 驚くに足る (odoroku ni taru) — worthy of surprise
The negative form is に足らない (ni taranai) or に足りない (ni tarinai), both meaning not worthy of or not sufficient for. These two negatives are largely interchangeable in modern Japanese. に足る can modify a following noun attributively (信頼に足る人 — a person worthy of trust) or stand as a predicate at the end of a sentence.
Example Sentences
Expressing Trust, Respect, and Praise
彼は信頼に足る人物だ。
Kare wa shinrai ni taru jinbutsu da.
He is a person worthy of trust.
彼女の努力は称賛に足る。
Kanojo no doryoku wa shōsan ni taru.
Her efforts are worthy of praise.
彼の業績は尊敬に足るものだ。
Kare no gyōseki wa sonkei ni taru mono da.
His achievements are something worthy of respect.
この証言は考慮に足るものだ。
Kono shōgen wa kōryo ni taru mono da.
This testimony is something worthy of consideration.
Describing Things and Works Worth Engaging With
その映画は見るに足る作品だ。
Sono eiga wa miru ni taru sakuhin da.
That film is a work worthy of watching.
この資料は参考に足る価値がある。
Kono shiryō wa sankō ni taru kachi ga aru.
This material has value worthy of reference.
その証拠は裁判で使うに足るものだった。
Sono shōko wa saiban de tsukau ni taru mono datta.
That evidence was something sufficient to use in court.
このレポートは提出に足る品質だ。
Kono repōto wa teishutsu ni taru hinshitsu da.
This report is of sufficient quality for submission.
Discussing People and Achievements
彼の発言は注目に足るものだった。
Kare no hatsugen wa chūmoku ni taru mono datta.
His statement was something worthy of attention.
その計画は実行に足る内容だ。
Sono keikaku wa jikkō ni taru naiyō da.
That plan has content worthy of being put into action.
彼女はリーダーとして尊敬に足る存在だ。
Kanojo wa rīdā to shite sonkei ni taru sonzai da.
She is a figure worthy of respect as a leader.
彼女は信頼に足る友人だと思う。
Kanojo wa shinrai ni taru yūjin da to omou.
I believe she is a friend worthy of trust.
Using the Negative Form
彼らの行動は批判に足らない。
Karera no kōdō wa hihan ni taranai.
Their actions are not even worthy of criticism.
その発見は驚くに足ることではなかった。
Sono hakken wa odoroku ni taru koto de wa nakatta.
That discovery was not something worthy of surprise.
彼の謝罪は信用に足るものではない。
Kare no shazai wa shin'yō ni taru mono de wa nai.
His apology is not something worthy of credibility.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using 足りる Instead of 足る
❌ 彼は信頼に足りる人物だ。
✅ 彼は信頼に足る人物だ。
に足る is a classical fixed expression. While 足りる is its modern descendant, the two are not interchangeable in this pattern. The classical form に足る appears consistently in formal writing and on the JLPT — always use it over に足りる.
Mistake 2: Wrong Order of Components
❌ 彼は足る信頼の人だ。
✅ 彼は信頼に足る人だ。
The action noun expressing what something is worthy of must come immediately before に足る. The structure is always [action noun] + に足る — not the reverse. Think of it as the action noun flowing directly into に足る as one unit: 信頼に足る, 尊敬に足る, and so on.
Mistake 3: Using the Passive Form of the Verb
❌ 彼の行動は尊敬されるに足る。
✅ 彼の行動は尊敬に足る。/ 彼の行動は尊敬するに足る。
When attaching a verb form to に足る, always use the active dictionary form, not the passive form. The meaning already implies that someone is doing the trusting, respecting, or praising — you do not need to make the verb passive. Use 尊敬するに足る or simply the noun 尊敬に足る.
Mistake 4: Using に足る in Casual Conversation
❌ ねえ、あの先生って尊敬に足る人だよね！（友達への話し言葉）
✅ あの先生って本当に尊敬できる人だよね！（カジュアル）
に足る is a classical formal expression that sounds completely out of place in casual speech. It would strike native speakers as stiff, comical, or pretentious in a friendly conversation. In everyday speech, opt for the potential form — 信頼できる (trustworthy), 尊敬できる (respectable) — or natural phrases like 〜する価値がある (worth doing).
Mistake 5: Misreading 足 as あし
❌ Reading に足る as に足る (meaningless)
✅ Reading に足る as に足る (ni taru — worthy of)
In に足る, the kanji 足 is read as た, not as あし (foot/leg). This is the classical verb 足る (to be sufficient), not the noun 足 (foot). This is a common reading trap in N1 exam questions, especially in kanji reading sections. Remember: に足る = ni taru, always.
Cultural Notes
に足る belongs to the layer of Japanese that linguists call 文語 — written or classical language. Modern Japanese has largely abandoned these forms in speech, but expressions like に足る survive in formal writing because they carry dignity, authority, and historical weight. Encountering に足る in a text signals intent: this is something to be taken seriously.
When a Japanese politician calls a colleague 尊敬に足る人物 (a person worthy of respect), the word choice is deliberate. A newspaper editorial describing evidence as 信用に足るもの (something worthy of credibility) sends the same signal. The grammar itself carries weight — it tells readers the subject has been evaluated and found to genuinely merit the stated quality.
In Japanese business and academic culture, using expressions like に足る correctly signals fluency beyond the textbook. Senior colleagues and academic reviewers notice. It marks education, careful attention to register, and respect for formal writing conventions.
The negative form に足らない can turn sharply dismissive, even contemptuous: 批判に足らない (not even worthy of criticism), 問題に足らない (not even worth treating as a problem). This is a distinctly literary device — using formal language to downplay something — that appears frequently in editorials and formal essays. Catching that dismissive tone is essential for accurate reading comprehension.
JLPT Tips
に足る is a tested grammar point at the N1 level, appearing most consistently in the 文法 (grammar) and 読解 (reading comprehension) sections. Knowing its behavior in both saves time under pressure.
In grammar selection questions, に足る typically appears alongside に値する, に相応しい, and other formal expressions of worthiness. The key distinction: に足る specifically suggests meeting a sufficient threshold — rooted in 足りる (to be enough). When the context implies that something clears the bar or meets a required standard, に足る is the right answer.
In reading comprehension passages, に足る appears in formal texts: opinion essays, historical accounts, analytical pieces. When you spot it, identify two things — what is being judged (the subject), and what action it is deemed worthy of (the noun or verb before に足る). The structure never varies: [subject] は [action noun / verb] + に足る.
Watch the negative form に足らない closely. It appears frequently in N1 passages to express dismissal, understatement, or contempt. Students sometimes miss that the author is being evaluative — and often dismissive — rather than neutral. Recognizing that tone is a recurring reading comprehension challenge.
に足る almost always appears in written, formal Japanese. If a question asks you to choose between に足る and a casual expression for an informal dialogue, eliminate に足る immediately. Context is your clearest guide.
Lock in the four collocations that appear most often in N1 materials: 信頼に足る, 尊敬に足る, 称賛に足る, 注目に足る. Knowing them cold saves seconds under pressure. One last note: read 足 as た, not as あし — a small trap that catches more students than it should.