warto

Warto is a Polish adverb meaning "it's worth" or "it's worthwhile." It is used to indicate that undertaking an action is advisable or advantageous, often preceding an infinitive clause. The form is invariable, not inflected for person, number, or gender, and it can appear at the beginning of a sentence or before the verb phrase it governs.

Common usage patterns include the construction with an infinitive, such as "Warto spróbować" (It's worth trying) or "Warto odwiedzić to miejsce" (It's worth visiting this place). The phrase can also introduce a full clause without an explicit subject, for example, "Warto było czekać" (It was worth waiting). In negative constructions, it forms the set phrase "nie warto" meaning "it's not worth it."

Grammatically, warto functions as an adverb and is often paired with verbs in their basic infinitive form to evaluate actions. It can express practical advisability, value judgments, or benefit, and is common in both formal writing and everyday speech.

Etymology traces warto to the Polish adjective wart, meaning "worthy" or "valuable," with the adverbial use developing to convey the sense of worthiness or advisability. The root is linked to Proto-Slavic origins related to value and merit, and related terms appear in other Slavic languages with parallel meanings.

See also: value-related words in Polish, grace of expression in Polish idioms, Polish adverbs of evaluation.