French Conversation · Level 19
89 words
French word
servir
Pronunciation
IPA/sɛʁviʁ/
Meaning
- verbserve
Example
La serveuse servira le café.
The waitress will serve the coffee.
More examples
Ce couteau ne sert à rien.
This knife is of no use.
Core concept
A person makes something available to someone, or an object performs the job it is meant for.
Common phrases
servir le café
serve coffee
servir un client
serve a customer
servir à
be useful for
Similar words
donner: Hand something over so that it becomes someone else's.
mettre: Place something in a particular location.
offrir: Offer something as a gesture of goodwill or an invitation.
apporter: Bring something to a particular location.
Definition in French
Fournir ou mettre à la disposition de quelqu'un quelque chose, ou désigner qu'une chose sert à un usage (servir à, servir de).
Word origin
French servir is inherited from Latin servire, "to serve," and extends the older idea of service to supplying things and being useful.
Usage tips
- The pattern servir quelque chose à quelqu'un means "serve something to someone," while servir quelqu'un means "serve or wait on someone."