Meaning
to be needed; serve
- to be needed; be necessary
- to be useful
- to serve
In a sentence
Ti serve una mano con la spesa?
Do you need a hand with the shopping?
Questo cacciavite non serve più.
This screwdriver isn't useful anymore.
Ieri ho servito tre tavoli da solo.
Yesterday I served three tables by myself.
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| servire | infinitive |
| serviamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| servo | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| servite | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| servi | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| servono | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| serve | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| servivamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| servivo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| servivate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| servivi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| servivano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| serviva | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| servimmo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| servii | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| serviste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| servisti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| servirono | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| servì | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| serviremo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| servirò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| servirete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| servirai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| serviranno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| servirà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| serviamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| serva | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| serviate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| serva | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| servano | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| serva | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| servissimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| servissi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| serviste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| servissi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| servissero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| servisse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| serviremmo | conditional · present · plural · 1st person |
| servirei | conditional · present · singular · 1st person |
| servireste | conditional · present · plural · 2nd person |
| serviresti | conditional · present · singular · 2nd person |
| servirebbero | conditional · present · plural · 3rd person |
| servirebbe | conditional · present · singular · 3rd person |
| serviamo | imperative · plural · 1st person |
| servite | imperative · plural · 2nd person |
| servi | imperative · singular · 2nd person |
| servendo | gerund |
| servito | past · participle |
Usage notes
- Use 'servire' for necessity (e.g., 'Mi serve una penna') instead of 'avere bisogno di' for concise, natural Italian.
- In compound tenses, 'servire' takes 'essere' when impersonal (e.g., 'È servito molto tempo') but 'avere' when transitive (e.g., 'Ho servito il caffè').
- Avoid overusing 'servire' for 'to serve' in sports; prefer 'battere' for 'to serve' in tennis.