merecer
/meɾeˈθeɾ/
The English verb 'deserve' is translated into Spanish as merecer. If unsure, use merecer. Wiktionary also lists meritar and ameritar.
Meaning: to merit (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| merecer | /meɾeˈθeɾ/ /meɾeˈseɾ/ |
| meritar | /meɾitaɾ/ (from spelling rules) |
| ameritar | /ameɾiˈtaɾ/ |
The primary way to express that someone or something merits a certain treatment, reward or consequence is by using merecer. In certain contexts, if you want to express that something or someone is worth the time, effort or attention required, you can also use the phrase valer la pena.
Which one should you use?
While merecer is the most common and standard way to express this idea across all Spanish-speaking regions, the forms meritar and ameritar serve as more specialized synonyms.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ameritar is a more formal or literary version, and meritar is a formal synonym typically reserved for legal or highly technical contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
merecer is a regular -er verb, meaning it follows standard conjugation patterns for verbs ending in -er.
How do you pronounce it?
/meɾeˈθeɾ/
Did you know?
- While merecer is used for deserving things, the phrase valer la pena literally translates to 'to be worth the pain', reflecting a cultural view that rewards often require suffering.
- The formal version ameritar contains a prefix 'a-' that was added to the noun mérito to turn it into a verb. This makes it a morphological relative of 'merit' rather than a direct descendant of the original Latin verb.
- The verb ameritar is often used in formal reports to state that a situation 'merits' a specific legal or administrative action, whereas merecer sounds too emotional or personal for these documents.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué hice para merecer esto?What did I do to deserve this?This example shows how to use merecer to ask what one did to deserve a specific situation.Tatoeba #1508816 by marcelostockle, translation #1453245 by Spamster
- ¿Qué he hecho para merecer esto?What have I done to deserve this?This example uses the present perfect tense with merecer to ask about past actions.Tatoeba #10808442 by ecorralest101, translation #2960945 by Hybrid
- ¿Qué mal hice para merecer esta tristeza?What did I do wrong to deserve this sadness?This example uses merecer to express the feeling of deserving sadness due to a wrong action.Tatoeba #1748407 by marcelostockle, translation #13457669 by apzzd
- Tú mereces una recompensa por todo tu esfuerzo.You deserve a reward for all your effort.
- Ella merece el reconocimiento por su trabajo.She deserves recognition for her work.
- El equipo de fútbol merece ganar el campeonato.The soccer team deserves to win the championship.
- Este inventor tiene mucho mérito. Sus inventos merecen reconocimiento.This inventor has a lot of merit, his inventions deserve recognition.
- Su dedicación y esfuerzo tienen mérito. Todos los éxitos que logra los merece.His dedication and effort have merit, he deserves all the successes he achieves.
- Se merece una buena vacación después de tanto trabajo.He/she deserves a nice vacation after so much work.
- Nos merecemos un descanso tras todo este esfuerzo.We deserve a break after all this effort.
- Tu esfuerzo vale la pena. Te mereces el éxito.Your effort is worth it, you deserve success.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “deserve” translations and entries merecer, meritar, ameritar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ameritar, merecer, meritar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
