Inklingo
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A shiny gold medal with a blue ribbon resting on a polished wooden surface.

mérito

MEH-ree-toh

nounmB1
merit?the quality of being particularly good or worthy,worth?personal value or the value of an action
Also:credit?acknowledgment for a job well done,effort?when describing how hard something was to achieve

📝 In Action

Tu dibujo tiene mucho mérito, te esforzaste mucho.

B1

Your drawing has a lot of merit; you put in a lot of effort.

No quiero quitarle mérito a su trabajo.

B1

I don't want to take away credit from his work.

Ganaron el partido por sus propios méritos.

B2

They won the game on their own merits.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • desmérito (lack of merit)
  • defecto (flaw)

Common Collocations

  • hacer méritos – to earn points / to try to impress
  • quitar mérito – to downplay someone's achievement
  • por méritos propios – through one's own efforts

Idioms & Expressions

  • Dar el mérito a quien lo merece – To give credit where credit is due

💡 Grammar Points

Always Masculine

This word is always masculine ('el mérito'), even if you are talking about a woman's achievement.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Confusing with Talent

Mistake: "Using 'mérito' to mean natural talent only."

Correction: Use 'mérito' when you want to highlight the effort or 'deservingness' behind an action, not just raw skill.

⭐ Usage Tips

Expressing Admiration

Use the phrase 'tiene mucho mérito' when you want to say 'that's really impressive' because you know it was difficult to do.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: mérito

Question 1 of 2

Which phrase would you use to say someone got a job because they worked hard for it?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

merecer(to deserve) - verb
meritorio(praiseworthy / meritorious) - adjective
merecido(deserved) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'mérito' the same as 'éxito'?

No. 'Éxito' means 'success' (the result), while 'mérito' is the 'worth' or 'deservingness' (the reason you should be praised).

What does 'hacer méritos' mean in a social context?

It means doing things specifically to gain someone's favor or to earn a promotion, like 'scoring points' with a boss.