English–Spanish

“deserve” in Spanish

Spanish

Pronunciation

IPA/meɾeˈθeɾ/

Example

Él merece respeto.

He deserves respect.

Illustration for merecer (deserve)

How to say “deserve” in Spanish

“Deserve” in Spanish is merecer.

A right earned through one's merits to receive praise, compensation, or fair treatment.

Full entry for merecer: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with merecer

Este libro merece la pena.

This book is worth reading.

Tips for using merecer

  • Unlike English deserve, merecer commonly appears in set expressions such as merecer la pena meaning 'to be worth it', often used in the negative as no merece la pena.

“deserve” in other languages