sirvió
“sirvió” means “served” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
served
Also: it served
📝 In Action
El camarero nos sirvió la cena rápidamente.
A2The waiter served us dinner quickly.
¿Quién sirvió el postre en la fiesta de anoche?
B1Who served dessert at last night's party?
was useful, worked
Also: it was good for, answered the purpose
📝 In Action
El mapa viejo no sirvió para encontrar el camino.
B1The old map wasn't useful for finding the way.
Ella intentó usar la llave, pero no sirvió.
B1She tried to use the key, but it didn't work.
Su consejo me sirvió mucho durante la crisis.
B2His advice helped me a lot during the crisis.
served
Also: worked for
📝 In Action
Ella sirvió a su país durante veinte años.
B2She served her country for twenty years.
El presidente sirvió un solo mandato.
C1The president served a single term.
Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Indicative
Imperfect
Present
Preterite
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: sirvió
Question 1 of 2
Which English translation is correct for the sentence: 'La herramienta no sirvió para arreglar el coche.'
📚 More Resources
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
'Sirvió' comes from the Spanish verb 'servir,' which traces back to the Latin word *servīre*, meaning 'to be a slave' or 'to attend.' Over time, the meaning broadened to include waiting tables and being useful.
First recorded: c. 13th century (in Old Spanish as 'servir')
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'sirvió' have an 'i' when the infinitive is 'servir'?
'Servir' is an irregular verb with an 'e' to 'i' stem change. This specific change happens only in the third-person forms of the simple past (preterite) and throughout the present subjunctive. Think of it as a pattern: 'él/ella/usted' and 'ellos/ellas/ustedes' often trigger this change.
How do I know if 'sirvió' means 'served' (food) or 'was useful'?
Look at the word that comes before or after it. If you see 'la comida' (the food) or 'el café' (the coffee), it means 'served'. If you see 'el teléfono' (the phone) or 'el plan' (the plan), it means 'was useful' or 'worked'.