merecem

Merecem is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Portuguese verb merecer, meaning to deserve or to merit. It is used with a plural subject (eles or elas) to indicate that those subject(s) deserve a certain treatment, recognition, or outcome.

Usage and examples: Merecem respeito means they deserve respect. Merecem crédito or deserve to be credited. Eles merecem ser ouvidos expresses that they deserve to be heard. The form appears in statements of merit, justification, or moral evaluation, often in journalism, opinion pieces, or everyday speech. It can also appear in questions or exclamations: Por que eles merecem isso? Which translates to Why do they deserve this?

Conjugation and related forms: In the present indicative, other forms of merecer include eu mereço, tu mereces, ele/ela merece, nós merecemos, vós mereceis, eles/elas merecem. The verb has other tenses (preterite: mereceram; future: merecerão) and related nouns such as mérito (merit) and merecimento (merit, deserving).

Etymology and cognates: Merecer derives from Latin merēscērī, related to earning or deserving. Similar forms exist in other Iberian languages, with Spanish using merecen for the third-person plural present indicative.

See also: Merecer, Merit, Respeito. Notes: usage emphasizes deserving status based on actions or qualities and is commonly employed to express justification or normative evaluation.