merezco

meh-REHS-koh/meˈɾesko/

“merezco” means “I deserve” in Spanish (to be worthy of).

I deserve

Also: I merit

VerbB1irregular (zco change) er

A simple illustration showing one hand presenting a glowing golden laurel wreath to a second, waiting outstretched hand, symbolizing receiving a deserved reward.

infinitivemerecer

gerundmereciendo

past Participlemerecido

📝 In Action

Yo merezco un descanso después de este largo día.

I deserve a break after this long day.

No sé si merezco tanta felicidad.

I don't know if I deserve so much happiness.

Merezco una explicación por lo que pasó.

I deserve an explanation for what happened.

Word Connections

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

ser indigno (to be unworthy)

Common Collocations

merezco esto – I deserve this
merezco un aumento – I deserve a raise

🔄 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

yomereciera

túmerecieras

ellos/ellas/ustedesmerecieran

nosotrosmereciéramos

vosotrosmerecierais

View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "merezco" in Spanish:

i deserve→i merit→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: merezco

Question 1 of 2

Which Spanish verb follows the same irregular pattern as 'merezco'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼

merecer(to deserve) — Verb

merecido(deserved (adjective/past participle)) — Adjective

merecimiento(deserving, merit) — Noun

🎵 Rhymes▼

conozco agradezco

📚 Etymology▼

The verb *merecer* comes from the Latin verb *merēre*, which meant 'to earn' or 'to deserve.' The irregular pattern (the 'zco' ending) developed in Spanish over time to make the pronunciation flow better.

First recorded: Medieval Spanish (around the 13th century)

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: mereçoItalian: meritare

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is 'merezco' irregular?

It’s irregular only in the 'yo' form (I) of the present tense. It changes the 'c' to 'zco' to maintain a specific sound that Spanish speakers found easier to pronounce when the word evolved from Latin. This pattern is shared by many common verbs like *conocer* (to know) and *agradecer* (to thank).

What is the base verb for 'merezco'?

The base verb (the infinitive) is *merecer*, which means 'to deserve'.