Why Servir Is More Than "To Serve"
Servir is the verb of purpose and of the table: what a thing is for, what is no use, and what gets served. It stem-changes e to i (sirvo, sirves, sirve) and works with para for purpose and de for role.
Learn these six patterns as whole chunks and you will explain purpose and handle meals without translating word by word.
Pattern 1: ¿Para qué sirve? — "What is it for?"
The question to ask about a tool, a button, or a gadget you do not recognize. It is a close cousin of ¿para qué se usa? from the [Usar] Chunks post.
- ¿Para qué sirve este botón? — What is this button for?
- ¿Para qué sirve esto? — What is this for?
- No sé para qué sirve. — I don't know what it's for.
Chunk to learn:
¿Para qué sirve + [thing]? / No sé para qué sirve
Pattern 2: Sirve para… — "It's used for…"
The answer to the question above. Follow sirve para with an infinitive that names the job. For more on para for purpose, see Por vs. Para Chunks.
- Sirve para abrir botellas. — It's for opening bottles.
- Este cuchillo sirve para cortar pan. — This knife is for cutting bread.
- Sirve para muchas cosas. — It's good for many things.
Chunk to learn:
Sirve para + [infinitive] / Sirve para muchas cosas
Pattern 3: No sirve de nada — "It's no use"
The chunk for wasted effort. Use it to warn someone off a plan, and de nada sirve for a more dramatic tone.
- No sirve de nada gritar. — There's no use shouting.
- De nada sirve quejarse. — Complaining gets you nowhere.
- Esto ya no sirve. — This is no good anymore.
Chunk to learn:
No sirve de nada + [infinitive] / De nada sirve + [infinitive]
Pattern 4: Servir de… — "To serve as…"
Use servir de to say what role a thing plays when it is used in place of something else. It is a natural chunk for improvisation and for describing rooms or objects.
- El sofá sirve de cama. — The sofa serves as a bed.
- Mi hermano me sirvió de guía. — My brother served as my guide.
- Esta caja sirve de mesa. — This box serves as a table.
Chunk to learn:
Servir de + [role: cama / guía / mesa]
Pattern 5: Sírvete — "Help yourself"
The host's invitation at the table. Use sírvete with tú, sírvase with usted, and sírvanse for a group. For more on the reflexive pattern, see Reflexive Verbs Chunks.
- Sírvete lo que quieras. — Help yourself to whatever you want.
- Sírvase usted mismo. — Help yourself, please.
- ¿Me sirvo más ensalada? — May I serve myself more salad?
Chunk to learn:
Sírvete / Sírvase + [lo que quieras] / ¿Me sirvo más?
Pattern 6: Sirven desayuno hasta las once — "They serve breakfast until eleven"
For restaurants and hotels, servir is the verb of food and drink. The plural sirven means "they serve", and para servirle is the formal "at your service".
- Sirven desayuno hasta las once. — They serve breakfast until eleven.
- ¿A qué hora sirven la cena? — What time do they serve dinner?
- Para servirle, señora. — At your service, madam.
Chunk to learn:
Sirven + [comida] + hasta las + [time] / Para servirle
Servir vs. Usar
Usar is what you do with a tool: Uso este cuchillo. Servir describes what the tool is good for: Este cuchillo sirve para cortar. For another verb of how things work, see [Funcionar] Chunks.
Start with ¿para qué sirve? and sírvete. You will use both the next time you speak Spanish.
This post is part of the Spanish Chunk Series — a growing collection of chunk patterns for natural Spanish.