servir
“servir” means “to serve” in Spanish. It has 5 different meanings depending on context:
to serve, to wait on
Also: to attend to
📝 In Action
¿Puede servirnos un poco más de agua, por favor?
A1Can you serve us a little more water, please?
La camarera sirve la cena a las siete.
A1The waitress serves dinner at seven.
Mi trabajo es servir a los clientes con una sonrisa.
A2My job is to serve the customers with a smile.
to be useful, to be used for, to function
Also: to come in handy
📝 In Action
¿Para qué sirve este botón rojo?
B1What is this red button used for?
Este mapa no me sirve; necesito uno más reciente.
B1This map is not useful to me; I need a more recent one.
Mi viejo móvil todavía sirve para hacer llamadas.
B2My old cell phone still works for making calls.
to be enough, to suffice
Also: to do the job
📝 In Action
¿Dos tazas de café te sirven, o quieres más?
B2Are two cups of coffee enough for you, or do you want more?
No te preocupes por el dinero, esto sirve.
B2Don't worry about the money, this is enough (or: this will do).
Con media hora de estudio me sirve para el examen.
C1Half an hour of studying is enough for the exam for me.
to serve
Also: to be of service, to do time
📝 In Action
Mi abuelo sirvió a su país en la Segunda Guerra Mundial.
B1My grandfather served his country in the Second World War.
El político sirvió tres mandatos como alcalde.
B2The politician served three terms as mayor.
Es un honor servir a la comunidad.
B1It is an honor to serve the community.
📝 In Action
Por favor, sírvete un poco más de ensalada.
A2Please, help yourself to a little more salad.
Me serví una porción grande de pastel.
B1I helped myself to a large slice of cake.
No esperen, pueden servirse cuando quieran.
A2Don't wait, you can help yourselves whenever you want.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: servir
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence uses 'servir' in the sense of 'to be useful'?
📚 More Resources
📚 Etymology▼
Comes directly from the Latin verb *servīre*, meaning 'to be a slave, to serve, to be devoted to.' The core meaning of duty and attendance has remained consistent over time.
First recorded: Before the 10th century (Old Spanish)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'servir' a regular verb?
No, 'servir' is slightly irregular. It is an E > I stem-changing verb, meaning the 'e' in the middle changes to an 'i' in many forms, like 'yo sirvo' and 'él sirvió'.
How do I say 'This works' when talking about a machine?
You can use 'servir' or 'funcionar.' For example, 'Esto sirve' or 'Esto funciona.' We generally don't use 'trabajar' for objects.