Inklingo

How to Say "serve" in Spanish

English → Spanish

sirva

/SEER-bah//ˈsiɾβa/

verbB1food, drink, or assisting someone
Use 'sirva' when referring to the action of providing food or drinks, or when assisting someone in a service capacity.
A person wearing an apron placing a steaming plate of pasta on a table for a friend.

Examples

Por favor, sirva el café a los invitados.

Please, serve the coffee to the guests.

Busco una herramienta que me sirva para abrir esto.

I am looking for a tool that is useful for opening this.

Espero que este consejo le sirva de mucho.

I hope this advice is very useful to you.

Using 'sirva' for Commands

Use 'sirva' when you want to politely tell someone you address as 'usted' to serve something or be helpful.

The 'Wishes and Doubts' Form

This word is used after phrases like 'I hope' (Espero que...) or 'I don't think' (No creo que...) when talking about something being useful or someone serving.

Sirva vs. Sirve

Mistake: “Using 'sirve' for a polite command.”

Correction: Use 'sirva' for formal 'usted' commands. 'Sirve' is for 'he/she serves' or informal 'you serve' in some regions.

saque

SAH-keh/ˈsa.ke/

nounA2sports
Use 'saque' specifically in the context of sports, referring to the act of serving the ball, most commonly in tennis or volleyball.
A simplified storybook illustration of a tennis player mid-air, serving a tennis ball forcefully over the net.

Examples

El tenista falló su primer saque y tuvo que intentarlo de nuevo.

The tennis player missed his first serve and had to try again.

Si ganas el punto, el próximo saque es tuyo.

If you win the point, the next serve is yours.

Masculine Noun

Even though it ends in '-e', 'saque' is always masculine, so you use 'el' or 'un' before it.

Confusing Noun and Verb

Mistake: “Using 'sacar' when you mean the noun: 'El sacar es difícil.'”

Correction: Use the noun 'saque': 'El saque es difícil.' (The serve is difficult.)

Confusing Sports Serves with Serving Food

Learners often mistakenly use 'saque' for serving food or drinks. Remember that 'saque' is exclusively for the action of starting a point in sports like tennis. For anything else, such as serving a meal, use 'sirva'.

Related Translations

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