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FRENCH VERB

mériter

to deserve

  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: mérité
  • Present participle: méritant

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

  1. je I deserve
  2. tu you deserve
  3. il, elle, on he/she deserves
  4. nous we deserve
  5. vous you deserve
  6. ils, elles they deserve

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

  1. je I deserved
  2. tu you deserved
  3. il, elle, on he/she deserved
  4. nous we deserved
  5. vous you deserved
  6. ils, elles they deserved

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. je I used to deserve
  2. tu you used to deserve
  3. il, elle, on he/she used to deserve
  4. nous we used to deserve
  5. vous you used to deserve
  6. ils, elles they used to deserve

Future

Futur simple · plans; in speech, “je vais parler” is just as common

  1. je I will deserve
  2. tu you will deserve
  3. il, elle, on he/she will deserve
  4. nous we will deserve
  5. vous you will deserve
  6. ils, elles they will deserve

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

  1. je I would deserve
  2. tu you would deserve
  3. il, elle, on he/she would deserve
  4. nous we would deserve
  5. vous you would deserve
  6. ils, elles they would deserve

Present subjunctive

Subjonctif présent · wishes, doubts, “il faut que …”

  1. je (that) I deserve
  2. tu (that) you deserve
  3. il, elle, on (that) he/she deserve
  4. nous (that) we deserve
  5. vous (that) you deserve
  6. ils, elles (that) they deserve

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

  1. tu deserve!
  2. nous deserve! (let’s)
  3. vous deserve! (plural, or formal)

How to use mériter

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Tu mérites une vraie pause après cette semaine.

    You deserve a real break after this week.

  2. Past

    Ils ont mérité leur victoire, ils ont tout donné.

    They deserved their win, they gave everything.

  3. Imperfect

    Elle méritait ce poste depuis longtemps.

    She'd deserved that job for a long time.

  4. Future

    Après l'examen, vous mériterez bien un bon repas.

    After the exam, you'll have earned a good meal.

  5. Conditional

    Ce film mériterait d'être plus connu.

    This film deserves to be better known.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Je ne crois pas qu'il mérite autant de reproches.

    I don't think he deserves so much blame.

  7. Imperative

    Mérite ta place, personne ne te la donnera.

    Earn your place, nobody will give it to you.

Good to know

  • Ça se mérite ! means you have to earn it. Mériter de + infinitive : il mérite de gagner.

Where you hear mériter

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

French · Intermediate Level 1

  • Tu mérites des vacances ! You deserve a holiday!
  • Yanis a bien travaillé. Il a mérité son gâteau. Yanis worked well. He deserved his cake.
  • Après cette semaine, tu vas mériter un bon dîner ! After this week, you're going to deserve a good dinner!
16
Talk About a Date

Intermediate Level 1 · Tu mérites mieux que ça.

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Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: regular -er verb.