serve – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of serve

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to serve for sth
Participle: served for sth
Gerund: serving for sth

Cognates

-

Indicative

Present

Iserve for sth
youserve for sth
he;she;itserves for sth
weserve for sth
youserve for sth
theyserve for sth

Perfect

Ihave served for sth
youhave served for sth
he;she;ithas served for sth
wehave served for sth
youhave served for sth
theyhave served for sth

Past

Iserved for sth
youserved for sth
he;she;itserved for sth
weserved for sth
youserved for sth
theyserved for sth

Pluperfect

Ihad served for sth
youhad served for sth
he;she;ithad served for sth
wehad served for sth
youhad served for sth
theyhad served for sth

Future

Iwill serve for sth
youwill serve for sth
he;she;itwill serve for sth
wewill serve for sth
youwill serve for sth
theywill serve for sth

Future Perfect

Iwill have served for sth
youwill have served for sth
he;she;itwill have served for sth
wewill have served for sth
youwill have served for sth
theywill have served for sth

Subjunctive

Present

Iserve for sth
youserve for sth
he;she;itserve for sth
weserve for sth
youserve for sth
theyserve for sth

Perfect

Ihave served for sth
youhave served for sth
he;she;ithave served for sth
wehave served for sth
youhave served for sth
theyhave served for sth

Imperfect

Iserved for sth
youserved for sth
he;she;itserved for sth
weserved for sth
youserved for sth
theyserved for sth

Pluperfect

Ihad served for sth
youhad served for sth
he;she;ithad served for sth
wehad served for sth
youhad served for sth
theyhad served for sth

Conditional

Present

Iwould serve for sth
youwould serve for sth
he;she;itwould serve for sth
wewould serve for sth
youwould serve for sth
theywould serve for sth

Perfect

Iwould have served for sth
youwould have served for sth
he;she;itwould have served for sth
wewould have served for sth
youwould have served for sth
theywould have served for sth

Imperative

youserve for sth
weLet's serve for sth
youserve for sth

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

Iam serving for sth
youare serving for sth
he;she;itis serving for sth
weare serving for sth
youare serving for sth
theyare serving for sth

Perfect

Ihave been serving for sth
youhave been serving for sth
he;she;ithas been serving for sth
wehave been serving for sth
youhave been serving for sth
theyhave been serving for sth

Past

Iwas serving for sth
youwere serving for sth
he;she;itwas serving for sth
wewere serving for sth
youwere serving for sth
theywere serving for sth

Pluperfect

Ihad been serving for sth
youhad been serving for sth
he;she;ithad been serving for sth
wehad been serving for sth
youhad been serving for sth
theyhad been serving for sth

Future

Iwill be serving for sth
youwill be serving for sth
he;she;itwill be serving for sth
wewill be serving for sth
youwill be serving for sth
theywill be serving for sth

Future Perfect

Iwill have been serving for sth
youwill have been serving for sth
he;she;itwill have been serving for sth
wewill have been serving for sth
youwill have been serving for sth
theywill have been serving for sth

Conditional

Present

Iwould be serving for sth
youwould be serving for sth
he;she;itwould be serving for sth
wewould be serving for sth
youwould be serving for sth
theywould be serving for sth

Perfect

Iwould have been serving for sth
youwould have been serving for sth
he;she;itwould have been serving for sth
wewould have been serving for sth
youwould have been serving for sth
theywould have been serving for sth

Other

Verbs similar to 'serve'

kerve, nerve, perve, sarve, serge, servo, swerve, terve, bere, carve,

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

wait upon as a servant
attend
wait as an attendant
stay
to serve
bestand, service
attend with ceremony or respect
wait
serve or attend
await
to wait upon
tend
to act as a servant for
aid, attend, attend to, await, bestand, bestead, dance attendance, do, do for, minister, service, tend
To wait as an attendant; give ceremonious or submissive attendance.
stay
To attend on, especially with ceremony or respect.
wait
To serve someone.
wait on, wait upon
enlist
enroll
help
administer, assist, aid, succor
follow
satisfy, obey, answer, suit, agree, accept, avail, function
promote
advance, forward, contribute, assist, work
attend
cater, purvey, provide, satisfy

Antonyms

to act as a servant for
govern, order, rule
help
hamper, counteract, combat, attack
follow
lead, command, order, cause
promote
degrade, debase, demoralize, discredit
attend
disregard, desert, forsake, leave

Additional Information

Etymology

1. c.1175, "to render habitual obedience to," from O.Fr. servir "to serve," from L. servire "to serve," originally "be a slave," related to servus "slave," perhaps from an Etruscan word (cf. Etruscan proper names Servi, Serve). Meaning "to attend to (a customer)" is first recorded 1362; that of "to set food on (a table)" is from c.1386. Sporting sense, in tennis, badminton, etc., first recorded 1585; the noun in this sense is from 1688. To serve (someone) right "to treat as he deserves" is recorded from 1587. To serve the time "shape one's views to what is in favor" is from 1560, translating L. tempori servire; time-server first recorded 1584.
2. From Middle English serven, from Old French servir, from Latin serviō (“be a slave; serve”), from Latin servus (“slave; servant”), which perhaps derives from Etruscan (compare Etruscan proper names 𐌔𐌄𐌓𐌅𐌉 (servi), 𐌔𐌄𐌓𐌅𐌄 (serve)), or from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“watch over, protect”). See: Middle English 'serven', Old French 'servir', Latin 'serviō'.

Verbs referencing "serve"

Norwegian, nynorsk serve, Ido servar, Finnish with old forms servata, Hungarian szervál, Norwegian, nynorsk sørve.

Sample Sentences

  • [...] crisis, into a screech or howl; wherein, I must confess, I should have thought the danger lay. At an early hour they all meet together for these festive purposes; at eight o’clock refreshments are served; and at nine they separate. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] quiet that prevails, is awful. Occasionally, there is a drowsy sound from some lone weaver 's shuttle, or shoemaker 's last, but it is stifled by the thick walls and heavy dungeon-door, and only serves to make the general stillness more profound. Over the head and face of every prisoner who comes into this melancholy house, a black hood is drawn; and in this dark shroud, an emblem of the curtain [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] paper hat of his own making, and was pleased to have it noticed and commanded. He had very ingeniously manufactured a sort of Dutch clock from some disregarded odds and ends; and his vinegar-bottle served for the pendulum. Seeing me interested in this contrivance, he looked up at it with a great deal of pride, and said that he had been thinking of improving it, and that he hoped the hammer and a [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] discharge of his duty, by the present of a snuff-box, or a richly-mounted sword, or an Eastern shawl; and surely the Nation who reposes confidence in her appointed servants, is likely to be better served, than she who makes them the subject of such very mean and paltry suspicions. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] there are two bridges; and the villas of the wealthier citizens sprinkled about the high grounds in the neighbourhood, are pretty enough. We lodged at a most excellent hotel, and were admirably served. As usual it was full of boarders, was very large, and had a broad colonnade to every story of the house. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] our repast in a quaint little room with a bed in it, decorated with some old oil paintings, which in their time had probably done duty in a Catholic chapel or monastery. The fare was very good, and served with great cleanliness. The house was kept by a characteristic old couple, with whom we had a long talk, and who were perhaps a very good sample of that kind of people in the West. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] situated; and there is a most excellent hotel for strangers, though it has the two drawbacks of being a total abstinence house (wines and spirits being forbidden to the students ), and of serving the public meals at rather uncomfortable hours: to wit, breakfast at seven, dinner at one, and supper at sunset. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] and the light winds, was a constant theme of conversation and observation among us. This was an English sailor, a smart, thorough-built, English man-of-war’s-man from his hat to his shoes, who was serving in the American navy, and having got leave of absence was on his way home to see his friends. When he presented himself to take and pay for his passage, it had been suggested to him that being an [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • “ And serves you right, ” said Jane, the pert chambermaid, “ if you will take their money to get drunk on. That's what she does, Missis. ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • “ Really, Aunt Chloe, I don't much care; — serve them any way you like. ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • Yes, Rod, uh, Commander. Lieutenant Sanchez, may I remind you, you 're not serving on some space lugger (War Between the Planets)