All verbs

mériter

/meʁite/to deserveB1

Family
Group 1 — regular `-er`
Takes
a direct object · an infinitive — Takes a direct object, or de + infinitive

Build map — what to memorise

These three pieces are learnt; every other tense is built from them.

The nous form
méritons
Presentprésentfollows the rule

Singular — the short stem

mérit-+-e -es -e

Presentprésentfollows the rule

Plural — the nous stem

mérit-+-ons -ez -ent

Imperfectimparfaitfollows the rule

mérit-+-ais -ais -ait -ions -iez -aient

Present participleparticipe-présentfollows the rule

mérit-+-ant

Subjunctivesubjonctif-présentfollows the rule

Built on ils; nous and vous are the imparfait forms

mérit-+-e -es -e -ent

Infinitive
mériter
Simple futurefutur-simplefollows the rule

mériter-+-ai -as -a -ons -ez -ont

Conditionalconditionnel-présentfollows the rule

Futur stem + imparfait endings

mériter-+-ais -ais -ait -ions -iez -aient

Near futurefutur-prochefollows the rule

aller + infinitive

mériter

Past participle
mérité

Takes avoir

Passé composépassé-composéfollows the rule

avoir (present) + past participle

mérité

Pluperfectplus-que-parfaitfollows the rule

Auxiliary in the imparfait + past participle

mérité

Conjugation

présent
Ije mérite/ʒə meʁit/I deserve
youtu mérites/ty meʁit/you deserve
he/sheil mérite/il meʁit/he deserves
wenous méritons/nu meʁitɔ̃/we deserve
youvous méritez/vu meʁite/you deserve
theyils méritent/il meʁit/they deserve

Examples

  • Tu le mérites.

    /ty lə me.ʁit/

    You deserve it.

  • Ça mérite d'être vu.

    /sa me.ʁit dɛtʁ vy/

    It's worth seeing.

  • Il ne le méritait pas.

    /il nə lə me.ʁi.tɛ pa/

    He didn't deserve it.

Set phrases

  • mériter de

    to deserve to

Notes

  • Ça mérite d'être vu — "it's worth seeing". French says something "deserves to be seen" where English says it is worth seeing.