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

merezco

meh-REHS-koh

VerbB1irregular (zco change) er

I deserve?to be worthy of

Also:I merit?formal/literary

Quick Reference

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

💡 Grammar Points

The 'Yo' Form Irregularity

"Merezco" is the special 'yo' form of the verb merecer. Unlike most verbs, it doesn't end in '-o'; it changes the 'c' to 'zc' before adding the 'o'. This change happens in the present tense (I deserve) and the entire present subjunctive (that I deserve).

Verbs like Merecer

This 'zco' irregularity is common! Other verbs that do this include conocer (conozco), agradecer (agradezco), and obedecer (obedezco). If the verb ends in -cer and the 'c' is preceded by a vowel, watch out for this change.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting the 'z'

Mistake: "Yo mereco"

Correction: Yo merezco. Spanish uses the 'z' here to keep the pronunciation consistent (like an 's' sound in Latin America, or a 'th' sound in Spain) before the 'o' ending.

⭐ Usage Tips

Using 'Merezco' with Nouns

You simply follow 'merezco' with the thing you deserve. Example: 'Merezco el premio' (I deserve the prize). You usually don't need a preposition.

🔄 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 →

✏️ 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

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'.