やり(がい)

やりがい
noun
sense of fulfillment; worth doing; rewarding
1. sense of fulfillment; being worth doing; rewarding quality
The feeling that an activity is meaningful and worth the effort. Something that makes one feel satisfied and motivated when doing or accomplishing it.
この仕事(しごと)はやり甲斐(がい)がある。
This job is rewarding.
やり甲斐(がい)(かん)じられる仕事(しごと)(さが)している。
I'm looking for a job where I can feel a sense of fulfillment.
(むずか)しい課題(かだい)だからこそ、やり甲斐(がい)がある。
Precisely because it's a difficult challenge, it's worth doing.

COMMON EXPRESSIONS:

  • やり甲斐(がい)がある (to be rewarding/worth doing)
  • やり甲斐(がい)(かん)じる (to feel a sense of fulfillment)
  • やり甲斐(がい)のある仕事(しごと) (a rewarding job)

PRODUCTIVE PATTERN 〜甲斐(がい):

The suffix 〜甲斐(がい) attaches to verb stems to mean "worth doing [verb]":

  • ()甲斐(がい) (reason for living, purpose in life)
  • ()甲斐(がい) (worth reading)
  • ()甲斐(がい) (worth seeing)
  • ()甲斐(がい) (worth eating)

WORK CULTURE:
やり甲斐(がい) is commonly discussed in Japanese workplace contexts, where finding meaning in one's work is highly valued. Job satisfaction surveys often include やり甲斐(がい) as a key metric.

WRITING NOTE:
Often written in hiragana as やりがい in casual contexts.