servir
/ser-VEER/
to serve
Servir (to serve) often refers to providing food or drinks.
servir(verb)
to serve
?food, drinks, or customers
,to wait on
?in a restaurant
to attend to
?customers
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
The E > I Stem Change
In the present tense, the 'e' in the stem of 'servir' changes to 'i' (sirvo, sirves, sirve, sirven), EXCEPT for the 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' forms (servimos, servís).
Preterite Change
This verb also changes in the past tense (preterite) for the single and plural third-person forms: 'él/ella/usted sirvió' and 'ellos/ellas/ustedes sirvieron'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the Stem Change
Mistake: "Yo servo la comida."
Correction: Yo sirvo la comida. (Remember the 'e' changes to 'i'!)
Servir can mean 'to be useful' or 'to function'.
servir(verb)
to be useful
?functionality
,to be used for
?purpose
,to function
?a device or tool
to come in handy
?informal usefulness
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
Using Servir for Purpose
When you want to ask or state what something is used for, always follow 'servir' with the preposition 'para' and then the noun or verb: ¿Sirve para cortar? (Is it used for cutting?)
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing up 'Servir' and 'Trabajar'
Mistake: "El coche no trabaja."
Correction: El coche no sirve/funciona. ('Trabajar' is for people; 'servir' or 'funcionar' is for machines/objects.)
When something is sufficient or adequate, we use servir (to be enough).
servir(verb)
to be enough
?sufficiency
,to suffice
?formal sufficiency
to do the job
?informal sufficiency
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
Structure for Sufficiency
When 'servir' means 'to be enough,' the thing that is enough is the grammatical subject (e.g., 'esto sirve'). If you mention who it is enough for, use an indirect object pronoun (me sirve, te sirve, nos sirve).
⭐ Usage Tips
Use of 'Servir' vs. 'Bastar'
'Servir' in this sense is often used personally (referencing the speaker's needs) while 'bastar' is a more general term for sufficiency.
Servir is used when referring to serving a duty, such as in public service or the military.
servir(verb)
to serve
?duty, military, or public service
to be of service
?formal assistance
,to do time
?prison sentence (rare)
📝 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.
The reflexive form, servirse, means 'to help oneself' to food or drink. (e.g., Servirse la comida).
servir(reflexive verb)
to help oneself
?to food or drink
,to take
?a portion
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
The Reflexive Form
When you use 'servir' with the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se), it means the action is directed back at the person, resulting in the meaning 'to help oneself.'
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing Reflexive and Non-Reflexive
Mistake: "Me sirvo la comida. (If you mean 'I serve the food' to someone else.)"
Correction: Yo sirvo la comida. (If you are the waiter.) / Me sirvo la comida. (If you are taking food for yourself.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Polite Commands
The imperative 'Sírvete' (Help yourself) is a very common and polite way to offer food to friends.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: servir
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence uses 'servir' in the sense of 'to be useful'?
📚 More Resources
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.