813 - に足る(にたる)

JLPT N1: に足る(にたる // suffice; be worthy of)

Before diving into this lesson, I recommend reviewing this previous N1 lesson: [NDL #564] - JLPT N1: たる.

In the pattern "[something] に足る NOUN," one can express that a NOUN (i.e. someone or something) is worthy of or sufficient for [something]."

For example:

あの大統領は、国民の信頼に足る人物だろうか。
あの だいとうりょう は、 こくみん の しんらい にたる じんぶつ だろうか。
I wonder if that president is worthy of her [his] people’s trust.
Literally: “that + president (of a nation) + は, + people (of a country) + の + trust / faith + に + is worthy of + person / figure / character + だろうか.”
Note: The speaker appears to be thinking this to himself.


So, we have:

信頼(しんらい // trust; faith; reliance

に足る(にたる // suffice; be worthy of

人物(じんぶつ // person; figure; character

信頼に足る人物(しんらいにたるじんぶつ // a person worthy of trust


In the above example, you'll see that に足る is preceded by a するNOUN (i.e. a NOUN capable of pairing up with する). It is also possible to put Vる in front of it. It will always be followed by a NOUN:

Vるに足るNOUN
するNOUN + に足るNOUN

 

Another example:

「風と共に去りぬ」は一読するに足る大傑作だ。
「かぜ と ともに さりぬ」 は いちどく する にたる だいけっさく だ。
Gone with the Wind is a great masterpiece that deserves to be read (at least once).
Literally: “Gone with the Wind (=wind + together with + left / went away) + は + one reading + do + に + is worthy of + great masterpiece + だ.”
Note: 去りぬ is an outdated way of saying 去った、去ってしまった、去っていった, etc. In other words, it expresses a past-tense/completed action of "leaving" or "going away."

 

Yet another example:

平昌オリンピックでは、十分満足に足る結果を残すことができました。
ぴょんちゃん オリンピック で は、 じゅうぶん まんぞく にたる けっか を のこす ことができました。
Our achievements at the PyeongChang Olympics were sufficiently satisfactory. // My (team's) achievements at the PyeongChang Olympics were more than enough to be satisfied with.
Literally: “Pyeongchang + Olympics + で + は, + sufficient / enough + satisfaction + に + is worthy of + result + を + leave behind / save + thing + が + were able to do.”


↑ I always have a hard time translating sentences that, from a literal English perspective, appear to be redundant.

In our first English translation above, the word "sufficiently" appears to refer to both 十分 (じゅうぶん // enough; plenty) and に足る (にたる // suffice; be worthy of).

In the second sentence, I went with "more than enough" to express the combination of the two. Maybe there is a better way to translate it, but I couldn't think of one.

 

The first time that I ever came across に足る "in the wild" was in the set phrase 取るに足らない (とるにたらない), which means something like "worthless" or "having no value."

Here's an example using it:

彼らはいつも取るに足らない問題について延々と議論している。
かれら は いつも とる にたらない もんだい について えんえん と ぎろん している。
They’re always arguing about trivial problems. // They never stop fighting over meaningless issues.
Literally: “they + は + always + worthless (=take + に + is not worthy of) + problem + about / regarding + endlessly / on and on + argument / dispute + are doing.”

 

You've done it again! Another lesson for the books.
Complete and Continue