The Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) of Merecer is used to express a direct command or request for someone to deserve something, although this usage is quite rare since deserving is not typically a voluntary action. For example, Merece el premio por tu arduo trabajo. (Deserve the prize for your hard work.)

Merecer belongs to the -cer to -zca spelling-changing conjugation type, where the ‘c’ changes to ‘zc’ before the verb endings are added.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Merecer (to deserve) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Latin American Spanish):

Merecer generally means “to deserve” or “to merit”, but has several different meanings in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands), some of which might surprise you.

Deserve something good: This is the most common meaning, used to tell someone they deserve a reward or positive outcome. For example, ¡Merece un premio por su arduo trabajo! (You deserve a prize for your hard work!)

Deserve punishment: It can also mean the opposite, implying someone deserves negative consequences. For example, ¡Merece un castigo por su mala conducta! (You deserve punishment for your bad behavior!)

Deserve respect: It can suggest someone is worthy of respect or admiration. For example, ¡Merece respeto por su valentía! (You deserve respect for your bravery!)

Deserve criticism (colloquial): In informal contexts, it can mean someone deserves to be criticized or insulted. For example, ¡Merece que le digan la verdad en su cara! (You deserve to be told the truth to your face!)

Deserve misfortune (rude): In very rude contexts, it can imply someone deserves bad luck or misfortune, often used as an insult. For example, ¡Merece que le pase algo malo! (You deserve something bad to happen to you!)

Examples

Examples of Merecer in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands)

¡Merece la pena esforzarse por tus sueños! (It’s worth striving for your dreams!)

Amigos, merezcamos disfrutar de esta noche especial. (Friends, let’s enjoy this special night.)

Equipo, merezcan dar lo mejor de ustedes en el partido de hoy. (Team, give your best effort in today’s game.)

Antes de juzgar, merece escuchar ambos lados de la historia. (Before judging, it’s worth hearing both sides of the story.)

Después de un día agotador, merezcamos relajarnos con una buena película. (After an exhausting day, let’s relax with a good movie.)

En esta situación difícil, merezcan mantener la calma y la paciencia. (In this difficult situation, you should remain calm and patient.)

Para mejorar tu salud, merece adoptar hábitos saludables. (To improve your health, it’s worth adopting healthy habits.)

Compañeros, merezcamos celebrar nuestro éxito con un brindis. (Colleagues, let’s celebrate our success with a toast.)

En momentos de duda, merezcan confiar en su intuición. (In moments of doubt, you should trust your intuition.)

Para tener una relación sana, merece comunicarse con honestidad y respeto. (To have a healthy relationship, it’s worth communicating with honesty and respect.)

Familia, merezcamos apreciar los momentos juntos y crear recuerdos inolvidables. (Family, let’s cherish our time together and create unforgettable memories.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Merecer (to deserve) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Imperative mood is also known as the Command Form, Affirmative Command Mood, or Direct Command Form in English, and as Modo Imperativo, Imperativo Afirmativo, Mandatos Afirmativos, or Forma de Mandato in Spanish.