A smiling person standing on a small pedestal, receiving a brightly shining golden trophy from an unseen hand, symbolizing that they earned or deserved the reward.

merecía

meh-reh-SEE-ah

VerbA2irregular (C>ZC stem change in present yo and subjunctive forms) er

I deserved?First person singular, past continuous state,He/She/It deserved?Third person singular, past continuous state,You (formal) deserved?Formal singular, past continuous state

Also:was deserving of?Emphasizing the ongoing state

Quick Reference

infinitivemerecer

gerundmereciendo

past Participlemerecido

📝 In Action

Ella siempre decía que él merecía un castigo.

She always said that he deserved a punishment.

Yo sentía que merecía más reconocimiento por mi trabajo.

I felt that I deserved more recognition for my work.

En ese momento, el equipo no merecía ganar el partido.

At that moment, the team did not deserve to win the game.

Word Connections

Synonyms

ganarse (to earn)
ser digno de (to be worthy of)

Antonyms

demeritar (to lose merit)

Common Collocations

merecía la pena – it was worth the effort
merecía un premio – deserved an award

💡 Grammar Points

Imperfect Tense Focus

This form ('merecía') is the Imperfect past tense. It describes a past state or condition that was ongoing, habitual, or true over a period of time, rather than a single completed action.

The C-ZC Change

The base verb 'merecer' is slightly irregular. The 'c' changes to 'zc' when followed by an 'o' or 'a' (like in 'yo merezco' or the present subjunctive) to keep the pronunciation consistent. The 'merecía' form avoids this change.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Imperfect vs. Preterite

Mistake: "Using 'mereció' (Preterite) when describing a general past feeling or state."

Correction: 'Mereció' means they *definitely* deserved it at one specific, completed point in time. 'Merecía' is better for describing a lasting state of deserving, such as 'Siempre sentí que lo merecía' (I always felt I deserved it).

⭐ Usage Tips

Describing Past Feelings

Use 'merecía' when describing how someone felt about their worth in the past, often alongside verbs like 'creía' (I believed) or 'sentía' (I felt).

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedmerece

yomerezco

túmereces

ellos/ellas/ustedesmerecen

nosotrosmerecemos

vosotrosmerecéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedmerecía

yomerecía

túmerecías

ellos/ellas/ustedesmerecían

nosotrosmerecíamos

vosotrosmerecíais

preterite

él/ella/ustedmereció

yomerecí

túmereciste

ellos/ellas/ustedesmerecieron

nosotrosmerecimos

vosotrosmerecisteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedmerezca

yomerezca

túmerezcas

ellos/ellas/ustedesmerezcan

nosotrosmerezcamos

vosotrosmerezcáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedmereciera/mereciese

yomereciera/mereciese

túmerecieras/merecieses

ellos/ellas/ustedesmerecieran/mereciesen

nosotrosmereciéramos/mereciésemos

vosotrosmerecierais/merecieseis

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: merecía

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'merecía' to describe a past state?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

merecer(to deserve) - verb

merecimiento(merit / deservingness) - noun

merecido(deserved / well-earned) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'merecía' the same as 'mereció'?

'Merecía' (Imperfect) and 'mereció' (Preterite) are both past tenses, but they describe the past differently. 'Merecía' describes a continuous or habitual state of deserving, like 'He was deserving' or 'He used to deserve.' 'Mereció' describes a single, completed moment of deserving: 'He deserved it (and now the moment is over).'