servir
/seɾˈbiɾ/
The English phrase 'to serve' is translated into Spanish as servir.
servir is the most common and straightforward translation for 'to serve' in Spanish. It is used to describe the act of bringing food to people or a table. Beyond food service, it is the standard verb used to express that something is useful or functions a certain way, such as in the phrase esto no sirve (this is useless). To express that something is useful for a specific purpose, use the construction servir para followed by a noun or an infinitive. While servir covers many meanings, you may also see atender or asistir used to express the idea of serving customers, fulfilling needs or assisting someone.
Meaning: to bring food to (verb)
Which one should you use?
While servir is the general verb for serving food or people, it is also used to mean 'to be useful'. In contrast, the related noun servicio is used in a sports context to mean the act of putting a ball or shuttlecock into play.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, atender may be more frequently employed in a professional or customer service context.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
servir is an irregular stem-changing verb where the 'e' in the stem changes to 'i' in many conjugations. For example, the first-person singular is sirvo (I serve), the third-person singular present tense is sirve (it serves / he/she serves) and the third-person plural preterite form is sirvieron (they served).
How do you pronounce it?
/seɾˈbiɾ/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, the word servicio is a common euphemism for the toilet or bathroom.
- If you tell a Spanish speaker No me sirves, you are not saying they are bad at serving food, but rather that they are useless to you as a person.
- The Spanish word for 'napkin', servilleta, is derived from the same root as servir.
Examples in context
- Esta caja servirá como mesa.This box will serve as a table.This sentence shows the use of servir to describe something functioning as a specific object.Tatoeba #1731787 by marcelostockle, translation #57504 by CK
- Un político debe servir a la sociedad.A politician should serve society.This sentence uses servir in the context of serving society.Tatoeba #5590245 by baudelaire, translation #5617829 by Mar1L
- Yo no serviría este queso a mis invitados.I would not serve this cheese to my guests.This sentence demonstrates using servir when bringing food to guests.Tatoeba #9545012 by andresh, translation #9527422 by carlosalberto
- El mesero sirvió la cena elegantemente.The waiter served the dinner elegantly.
- El personal atenderá todas sus solicitudes.The staff will attend to all your requests.
- Estoy aquí para asistirle en lo que necesite.I am here to assist you with whatever you need.
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are having dinner at home.
- Alejandro¿Me ayudas a servir la comida?Will you help me serve the food?
- LucíaSí, yo voy a servir el arroz.Yes, I am going to serve the rice.
- AlejandroGracias, Lucía, tú eres muy rápida.Thanks, Lucía, you are very fast.
- LucíaNo hay de qué, Alejandro.You are welcome, Alejandro.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “serve” translations and entries servir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
