servir Present Conjugation
servir — to serve
Servir is a stem-changer (e > i) in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
servir Present Forms
When to Use the Present
Use the present tense to talk about what someone is serving now, a restaurant's menu, or if a tool currently works (servir para).
Notes on servir in the Present
This is an e > i stem-changing verb. The change occurs in all forms except the 'we' and 'you all (Spain)' forms.
Example Sentences
Yo te sirvo un poco más de café.
I'll serve you a bit more coffee.
yo
Este cuchillo no sirve para cortar pan.
This knife doesn't work for cutting bread.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros servimos el almuerzo al mediodía.
We serve lunch at noon.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: yo servo
Correct: yo sirvo
Why: Servir follows the e > i pattern, not the e > ie pattern like 'querer'.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'servir' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Preterite
yo: serví
Servir has a 'slipper' stem change (e > i) in the third-person forms: sirvió and sirvieron.
Imperfect
yo: servía
Servir is regular in the imperfect: servía, servías, servía, servíamos, servíais, servían.
Future
yo: serviré
Servir is completely regular in the future tense; just add the endings to the infinitive.
Conditional
yo: serviría
The conditional of servir is regular: serviría, servirías, serviría, serviríamos, serviríais, servirían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: sirva
Servir changes e > i in all forms of the present subjunctive, including nosotros.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: sirviera
The imperfect subjunctive is based on the 'sirvieron' stem: sirviera, sirvieras, sirviera...
Affirmative Imperative
yo: sirve
Use 'sirve' (tú) or 'sirva' (usted) to tell someone to serve or function.
Negative Imperative
yo: no sirvas
Negative commands use 'no' + the present subjunctive: no sirvas, no sirva.