Meaning
to deserve
- to deserve, merit
- to be worth
In a sentence
Ti meriti una pausa dopo tutto quel lavoro.
You deserve a break after all that work.
Questo film merita davvero il tuo tempo?
Is this movie really worth your time?
Non hai meritato quel brutto voto.
You didn't deserve that bad grade.
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| meritare | infinitive |
| meritiamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| merito | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| meritate | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| meriti | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| meritano | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| merita | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| meritavamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| meritavo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| meritavate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| meritavi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| meritavano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| meritava | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| meritammo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| meritai | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| meritaste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| meritasti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| meritarono | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| meritò | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| meriteremo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| meriterò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| meriterete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| meriterai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| meriteranno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| meriterà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| meritiamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| meriti | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| meritiate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| meriti | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| meritino | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| meriti | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| meritassimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| meritassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| meritaste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| meritassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| meritassero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| meritasse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| meriteremmo | conditional · present · plural · 1st person |
| meriterei | conditional · present · singular · 1st person |
| meritereste | conditional · present · plural · 2nd person |
| meriteresti | conditional · present · singular · 2nd person |
| meriterebbero | conditional · present · plural · 3rd person |
| meriterebbe | conditional · present · singular · 3rd person |
| meritiamo | imperative · plural · 1st person |
| meritate | imperative · plural · 2nd person |
| merita | imperative · singular · 2nd person |
| meritando | gerund |
| meritato | past · participle |
Usage notes
- Use 'meritare' for deserving based on actions/qualities, not just effort. 'Guadagnare' is for earning money/rewards.
- Auxiliary is 'avere' in compound tenses (ho meritato). No agreement with direct object unless pronominal (mi merito).
- Common mistake: confusing 'meritare' with 'valere' (to be worth). 'Meritare' implies moral/justified worth, not just value.