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SPANISH VERB

merecer

to deserve

  • Regular -er verb
  • Gerund: mereciendo
  • Past participle: merecido

Conjugation

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

Present

Presente · now, habits and facts

  1. yo I deserve
  2. tú you deserve
  3. usted, él, ella he/she deserves
  4. nosotros we deserve
  5. vosotros Spain you all deserve
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they deserve

Past

Pretérito indefinido · finished actions

  1. yo I deserved
  2. tú you deserved
  3. usted, él, ella he/she deserved
  4. nosotros we deserved
  5. vosotros Spain you all deserved
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they deserved

Imperfect

Pretérito imperfecto · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. yo I used to deserve
  2. tú you used to deserve
  3. usted, él, ella he/she used to deserve
  4. nosotros we used to deserve
  5. vosotros Spain you all used to deserve
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they used to deserve

Future

Futuro · plans and promises; in speech, “voy a hablar” is just as common

  1. yo I will deserve
  2. tú you will deserve
  3. usted, él, ella he/she will deserve
  4. nosotros we will deserve
  5. vosotros Spain you all will deserve
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they will deserve

Conditional

Condicional · “would”

  1. yo I would deserve
  2. tú you would deserve
  3. usted, él, ella he/she would deserve
  4. nosotros we would deserve
  5. vosotros Spain you all would deserve
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they would deserve

Present subjunctive

Presente de subjuntivo · wishes, doubts, “que …”

  1. yo (that) I deserve
  2. tú (that) you deserve
  3. usted, él, ella (that) he/she deserve
  4. nosotros (that) we deserve
  5. vosotros Spain (that) you all deserve
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas (that) they deserve

Past subjunctive

Imperfecto de subjuntivo · “if I were”, “si …”

  1. yo (if) I deserved
  2. tú (if) you deserved
  3. usted, él, ella (if) he/she deserved
  4. nosotros (if) we deserved
  5. vosotros Spain (if) you all deserved
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas (if) they deserved

Imperative

Imperativo · requests and orders; a negative one uses the subjunctive (no hables)

  1. tú deserve!
  2. usted deserve! (formal)
  3. nosotros deserve! (let’s)
  4. vosotros Spain deserve! (all of you)
  5. ustedes deserve! (all of you)

How to use merecer

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

  1. Present

    Después de tanto trabajo, te mereces unas vacaciones.

    After so much work, you deserve a vacation.

  2. Past

    Roberto mereció el premio más que nadie.

    Roberto deserved the prize more than anyone.

  3. Imperfect

    Esa película no merecía tantos aplausos.

    That movie didn't deserve so much applause.

  4. Future

    Quien más trabaje merecerá el ascenso.

    Whoever works hardest will deserve the promotion.

  5. Conditional

    Un equipo así merecería un mejor entrenador.

    A team like that would deserve a better coach.

  6. Present subjunctive

    No creo que merezca otra oportunidad.

    I don't think he deserves another chance.

  7. Past subjunctive

    Si lo mereciera, ya le habrían subido el sueldo.

    If he deserved it, they'd have raised his pay already.

  8. Imperative

    ¡No pidas el puesto, merécelo!

    Don't ask for the spot, earn it!

Good to know

  • "Te lo mereces" is "you deserve it", for good news or bad. "Merecer la pena" is to be worth it; in Mexico "valer la pena" is more common.

Where you hear merecer

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

Spanish · Intermediate Level 3

  • Te mereces unas vacaciones. You deserve a holiday.
  • Julián se mereció la beca. Julian deserved the grant.
  • Si sigues así, te vas a merecer un premio. If you keep this up, you're going to deserve a prize.
21
I Got the Grant!

Intermediate Level 3 · ¡Te lo mereces!

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Verbs like this one

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