Merecer Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb merecer means to deserve, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Merecer means to deserve, and it is used for deserving a rest, a second chance, a prize and more respect. It is a -cer spelling-change verb: yo merezco, and it often appears with the structure merecer + infinitive, as in merece descansar. Like every Spanish verb, merecer changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say merezco un descanso después del trabajo, and in the preterite you say merecí el premio por su esfuerzo. Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: merecer
- English: to deserve
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -er
- Gerund: mereciendo
- Past participle: merecido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + merecido)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for merecer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Spelling change: c becomes zc before o and a, so yo merezco and the subjunctive merezca.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for merecer. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | merezco |
| tú | mereces |
| él/ella/Ud. | merece |
| nosotros/as | merecemos |
| vosotros/as | merecéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | merecen |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | merecí |
| tú | mereciste |
| él/ella/Ud. | mereció |
| nosotros/as | merecimos |
| vosotros/as | merecisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | merecieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | merecía |
| tú | merecías |
| él/ella/Ud. | merecía |
| nosotros/as | merecíamos |
| vosotros/as | merecíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | merecían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | mereceré |
| tú | merecerás |
| él/ella/Ud. | merecerá |
| nosotros/as | mereceremos |
| vosotros/as | mereceréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | merecerán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | merecería |
| tú | merecerías |
| él/ella/Ud. | merecería |
| nosotros/as | mereceríamos |
| vosotros/as | mereceríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | merecerían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he merecido |
| tú | has merecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha merecido |
| nosotros/as | hemos merecido |
| vosotros/as | habéis merecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han merecido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había merecido |
| tú | habías merecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había merecido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos merecido |
| vosotros/as | habíais merecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían merecido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré merecido |
| tú | habrás merecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá merecido |
| nosotros/as | habremos merecido |
| vosotros/as | habréis merecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán merecido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría merecido |
| tú | habrías merecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría merecido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos merecido |
| vosotros/as | habríais merecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían merecido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | merezca |
| tú | merezcas |
| él/ella/Ud. | merezca |
| nosotros/as | merezcamos |
| vosotros/as | merecáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | merezcan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | mereciera |
| tú | merecieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | mereciera |
| nosotros/as | mereciéramos |
| vosotros/as | merecierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | merecieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | merece |
| él/ella/Ud. | merezca |
| nosotros/as | merezcamos |
| vosotros/as | mereced |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | merezcan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | merezcas |
| él/ella/Ud. | merezca |
| nosotros/as | merezcamos |
| vosotros/as | merecáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | merezcan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | mereciendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy mereciendo |
| Past participle | merecido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he merecido |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. Note the spelling change here: c becomes zc before o and a, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For merecer, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Merezco un descanso después del trabajo. Learn the present forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Preterite
Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For merecer, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, merecí una segunda oportunidad. Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect
Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For merecer, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, merecía el premio por su esfuerzo. Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future
Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For merecer, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, mereceré más respeto de sus jefes. Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional
Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For merecer, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Merecería un descanso después del trabajo si pudiera. Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present perfect
Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For merecer, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he merecido una segunda oportunidad. Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Pluperfect
Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For merecer, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había merecido el premio por su esfuerzo antes de salir. Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future perfect
Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For merecer, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré merecido más respeto de sus jefes. Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional perfect
Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For merecer, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría merecido un descanso después del trabajo con más tiempo. Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present subjunctive
Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. Note the spelling change here: c becomes zc before o and a, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For merecer, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él merezca una segunda oportunidad. Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For merecer, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él mereciera el premio por su esfuerzo, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (affirmative)
Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. Note the spelling change here: c becomes zc before o and a, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For merecer, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Merece más respeto de sus jefes! Learn the affirmative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (negative)
Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. Note the spelling change here: c becomes zc before o and a, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For merecer, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No merezcas un descanso después del trabajo. Learn the negative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with merecer, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Merezco un descanso después del trabajo. — I deserve a rest after the work.
- Merece una segunda oportunidad. — He/she deserves a second chance.
- Ayer, merecí el premio por su esfuerzo. — Yesterday, I deserved the prize for his effort.
- Antes, nosotros merecíamos más respeto de sus jefes. — Before, we used to deserve more respect from her bosses.
- Mañana, tú merecerás un descanso después del trabajo. — Tomorrow, you will deserve a rest after the work.
- Yo merecería una segunda oportunidad si tuviera más tiempo. — I would deserve a second chance if I had more time.
- Él ha merecido el premio por su esfuerzo. — He has deserved the prize for his effort.
- Espero que él merezca más respeto de sus jefes. — I hope he deserves more respect from her bosses.
- Yo ya había merecido un descanso después del trabajo antes de salir. — I had already deserved a rest after the work before leaving.
- Ellos merecían una segunda oportunidad cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to deserve a second chance when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo merece un descanso después del trabajo. — Right: Yo merezco un descanso después del trabajo. — The person matters: merece is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is merezco. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Yo mereco una segunda oportunidad. — Right: Yo merezco una segunda oportunidad. — In the present, the correct first-person form is merezco, not mereco. merecer is a spelling-change verb: c becomes zc before o and a, so the written form changes to keep the same sound. The regular-looking form is wrong.
- Wrong: Treating merecer and ganar as identical in every context. — Right: Merecer means to deserve, while ganar means to win or earn, the close verb. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: merecer fits sentences such as Merezco un descanso después del trabajo, while ganar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy merecido una segunda oportunidad. — Right: Yo he merecido una segunda oportunidad. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he merecido, has merecido, ha merecido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo merecí el premio por su esfuerzo todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo merecía el premio por su esfuerzo todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (merecía), not the preterite. The preterite (merecí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on merecer. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un descanso después del trabajo. (present tense) A. merezco B. mereces C. merece D. merecemos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ una segunda oportunidad. (preterite) A. merecí B. mereciste C. merecieron D. mereció
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el premio por su esfuerzo. (imperfect) A. merecías B. merecían C. merecíamos D. merecía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ más respeto de sus jefes. (future) A. mereceremos B. merecerás C. mereceré D. merecerá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un descanso después del trabajo si pudiera. (conditional) A. merecería B. merecerías C. merecerían D. merezco
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ una segunda oportunidad. (present subjunctive) A. merezcas B. merezcamos C. merezco D. merezca
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el premio por su esfuerzo, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. mereciéramos B. merezco C. mereciera D. merecieras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ más respeto de sus jefes. (present perfect) A. han merecido B. hemos merecido C. he merecido D. has merecido
Complete the command: ¡___ un descanso después del trabajo! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. merece B. merezca C. merezcamos D. mereced
Which is the gerund of merecer, used with estar for the progressive? A. merecido B. merezco C. merecí D. mereciendo
Answer key
- merezco — The first-person present of merecer is merezco. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- mereció — The third-person preterite of merecer is mereció, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- merecíamos — The nosotros imperfect of merecer is merecíamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- merecerás — The second-person future of merecer is merecerás.
- merecería — The first-person conditional of merecer is merecería, the form for what would happen.
- merezca — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of merecer is merezca.
- mereciera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of merecer is mereciera.
- hemos merecido — The nosotros present perfect of merecer is hemos merecido: hemos + merecido.
- merece — The affirmative tú imperative of merecer is merece.
- mereciendo — The gerund of merecer is mereciendo: estoy mereciendo. The participle merecido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does merecer mean in English?
Merecer means to deserve. It is used in everyday situations such as Merezco un descanso después del trabajo. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is merecer regular or irregular?
Merecer is a fully regular -er verb, so every tense follows the standard endings for its class. Once you know the regular pattern, you can produce every form on this page, including merezco in the present and merecí in the preterite.
What is the difference between merecer and ganar?
Merecer means to deserve, while ganar means to win or earn, the close verb. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use merecer when you mean to deserve, as in Merezco un descanso después del trabajo, and use ganar for to win or earn, the close verb. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I deserve” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo merecí una segunda oportunidad. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo merecía el premio por su esfuerzo. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he merecido una segunda oportunidad.
How do I practise merecer?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the merecer examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Merecer in the present tense — the full present-tense table for merecer.
- Merecer examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for merecer.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Desaparecer conjugation — another -er verb to compare with merecer.
- Establecer conjugation — another -er verb to compare with merecer.
- Aparecer conjugation — another -er verb to compare with merecer.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.