Infinitif : servir • Part. présent : servant • Part. passé : servi • Auxiliaire : avoir

Servir is one of the most useful verbs in French. Primary meaning of Servir is — to serve (food/drink; to wait on customers).

Secondary meanings: to be of use (cela sert à = that is used for), and to serve as (servir de).

It’s a -ir verb but behaves irregularly in several tenses (note the stem changes: serv- / servi- / serv- in different forms).

Below are conjugation tables for servir, written so you can quickly understand how to conjugate for each tense, plus a clear example + translation.

Pronunciation of different forms of servir:

servir ≈ sehr-VEER (IPA: /sɛʁ.viʁ/) 
Part. présent servant ≈ sehr-VAHN (IPA: /sɛʁ.vɑ̃/) 
Part. passé servi ≈ sehr-VEE (IPA: /sɛʁ.vi/)

Présent — Present

Use: describe actions happening now or general facts.

Personne	Forme	Example
je	sers	Je sers le dîner. — I serve / am serving dinner.
tu	sers	Tu sers le café. — You serve the coffee.
il/elle/on	sert	Il sert les clients. — He serves the customers.
nous	servons	Nous servons le menu du soir. — We serve the evening menu.
vous	servez	Vous servez souvent ici ? — Do you serve here often?
ils/elles	servent	Elles servent le thé. — They serve the tea.

Passé composé — Present perfect / simple past

Use: action completed in the past.

Personne	Forme	Example (French to English)
je	j’ai servi	J’ai servi le repas. — I served / have served the meal.
tu	tu as servi	Tu as servi les entrées. — You served the starters.
il/elle/on	il/elle/on a servi	Elle a servi le vin. — She served the wine.
nous	nous avons servi	Nous avons servi tous les invités. — We served all the guests.
vous	vous avez servi	Vous avez servi rapidement. — You served quickly.
ils/elles	ils/elles ont servi	Ils ont servi le dessert. — They served the dessert.

Imparfait — Imperfect (past habit / background)

Use: ongoing or repeated past actions / background.

Personne	Forme	Example
je	servais	Je servais dans un petit café. — I used to serve / was serving in a small café.
tu	servais	Tu servais souvent le matin. — You used to serve in the mornings.
il/elle/on	servait	Il servait toujours poliment. — He always served politely.
nous	servions	Nous servions les clients chaque jour. — We served customers every day.
vous	serviez	Vous serviez le déjeuner à midi. — You were serving lunch at noon.
ils/elles	servaient	Ils servaient pendant les fêtes. — They served during the holidays.

Plus-que-parfait — Pluperfect (had done)

Use: an action that happened before another past action.

Personne	Forme	Example
je	j’avais servi	J’avais servi avant qu’ils n’arrivent. — I had served before they arrived.
tu	tu avais servi	Tu avais servi le plat principal. — You had served the main course.
il/elle/on	il/elle/on avait servi	Elle avait servi le dessert. — She had served the dessert.
nous	nous avions servi	Nous avions servi toutes les boissons. — We had served all the drinks.
vous	vous aviez servi	Vous aviez servi la table. — You had served/set the table.
ils/elles	ils/elles avaient servi	Ils avaient servi les invités. — They had served the guests.

Futur simple — Future (will do)

Use: simple future — “will serve.”

Personne	Forme	Example
je	servirai	Je servirai le repas à 20h. — I will serve the meal at 8pm.
tu	serviras	Tu serviras les boissons. — You will serve the drinks.
il/elle/on	servira	Il servira de guide. — He will serve as a guide.
nous	servirons	Nous servirons le buffet. — We will serve the buffet.
vous	servirez	Vous servirez le café après. — You will serve the coffee afterwards.
ils/elles	serviront	Elles serviront pendant la réception. — They will serve during the reception.

Conditionnel présent — Conditional (would)

Use: hypothetical outcomes — “would serve.”

Personne	Forme	Example
je	servirais	Je servirais volontiers si j’étais là. — I would serve gladly if I were there.
tu	servirais	Tu servirais mieux avec plus d’entraînement. — You would serve better with more practice.
il/elle/on	servirait	Il servirait la communauté. — He would serve the community.
nous	servirions	Nous servirions si on nous le demandait. — We would serve if asked.
vous	serviriez	Vous serviriez bien ce plat. — You would serve this dish well.
ils/elles	serviraient	Ils serviraient en tant que bénévoles. — They would serve as volunteers.

Subjonctif présent — Subjunctive (necessity / emotion / doubt)

Use: after expressions of necessity, doubt, desire, emotion.

Personne	Forme	Example
que je	serve	Il faut que je serve la soupe chaude. — I must serve the soup hot.
que tu	serves	Il est important que tu serves bien. — It’s important that you serve well.
qu’il/elle/on	serve	Qu’il serve la table, s’il te plaît. — That he sets the table, please.
que nous	servions	Il faut que nous servions ensemble. — We must serve together.
que vous	serviez	Il est nécessaire que vous serviez poliment. — It’s necessary that you serve politely.
qu’ils/elles	servent	Je veux qu’ils servent correctement. — I want them to serve correctly.

Impératif — Imperative (commands / suggestions)

Personne	Forme	Example (FR — EN)
(tu)	sers	Sers la soupe ! — Serve the soup!
(nous)	servons	Servons les invités. — Let’s serve the guests.
(vous)	servez	Servez le vin, s’il vous plaît. — Serve the wine, please.

Passé simple — Literary past (written past)

Use: mostly literary / formal writing.

Personne	Forme	Example
je	servis	Je servis le roi loyally. — I served the king.
tu	servis	Tu servis le peuple. — You served the people.
il/elle/on	servit	Il servit pendant des années. — He served for years.
nous	servîmes	Nous servîmes la maison. — We served the household.
vous	servîtes	Vous servîtes fidèlement. — You served faithfully.
ils/elles	servirent	Ils servirent le pays. — They served the country.

Important Notes

Construction	Meaning and Example
se servir de + objet	Means: to use  Example: Je me sers de ce couteau. — I use this knife.
cela sert à + infinitif	Means: that is used for / serves to  Example: Cela sert à couper. — That is used to cut.
servir + de	Means: to serve as  Example: Il sert de guide. — He serves as a guide.