Also means
to be worth
Usage Note
Merecer is an irregular -cer verb: first-person singular present is merezco. The construction merecer la pena (to be worth it, literally 'to deserve the trouble') is extremely common and idiomatic — learners should learn this phrase as a unit. It can also express worthiness: merece el premio (he deserves the prize).
Examples
"Esto merece la pena."
Natural Translation
This is worth it.
Literal Translation
This deserves the trouble.

Free starter pack
Building your Spanish vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common Spanish words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore Spanish by topic