A1 verb Neutral #158 most common

serve

/sɜːrv/

To give food or drink to someone, typically in a restaurant or at a meal. It also means to help a customer in a shop or to perform a duty for a person or organization.

Examples

3 of 5
1

The waiter will serve our lunch in a few minutes.

The waiter will serve our lunch in a few minutes.

2

The government aims to serve the needs of all citizens.

The government aims to serve the needs of all citizens.

3

Hey, can you serve the drinks while I finish the pizza?

Hey, can you serve the drinks while I finish the pizza?

Word Family

Noun
service
Verb
serve
Adjective
serviceable
Related
server
💡

Memory Tip

Think of a 'server' in a restaurant whose job is to 'serve' you a meal.

Quick Quiz

The restaurant will ____ dinner starting at 6:00 PM.

Correct!

The correct answer is: serve

Examples

1

The waiter will serve our lunch in a few minutes.

everyday

The waiter will serve our lunch in a few minutes.

2

The government aims to serve the needs of all citizens.

formal

The government aims to serve the needs of all citizens.

3

Hey, can you serve the drinks while I finish the pizza?

informal

Hey, can you serve the drinks while I finish the pizza?

4

This basic example serves to illustrate the main point of the lesson.

academic

This basic example serves to illustrate the main point of the lesson.

5

We strive to serve our clients with the highest level of professional care.

business

We strive to serve our clients with the highest level of professional care.

Word Family

Noun
service
Verb
serve
Adjective
serviceable
Related
server

Common Collocations

serve food serve food
serve a customer serve a customer
serve breakfast serve breakfast
serve a purpose serve a purpose
serve the community serve the community

Common Phrases

first come, first served

the first people to arrive are the first to be helped

serve someone right

to be a deserved punishment for someone

serve time

to spend time in prison

Often Confused With

serve vs service

Service is usually the noun (the act of helping), while serve is the verb (the action itself).

serve vs deserve

Deserve means to earn something because of your actions, not to provide food or help.

📝

Usage Notes

Use 'serve' when talking about bringing food to a table or helping a customer in a store. It is also used when an object has a specific function, such as 'This box serves as a table.'

⚠️

Common Mistakes

Learners often use the noun 'service' as a verb (e.g., 'I will service you food' instead of 'I will serve you food').

💡

Memory Tip

Think of a 'server' in a restaurant whose job is to 'serve' you a meal.

📖

Word Origin

From the Old French word 'servir', which comes from the Latin 'servire', meaning 'to be a slave or servant'.

Grammar Patterns

serve + someone (e.g., The clerk served me.) serve + something (e.g., We serve tea at 4 PM.) serve as + noun (e.g., This sofa serves as a bed.)
🌍

Cultural Context

In many English-speaking cultures, it is polite to serve guests or elderly people before serving yourself.

Quick Quiz

The restaurant will ____ dinner starting at 6:00 PM.

Correct!

The correct answer is: serve

Related Words

hypothesis

B1

A hypothesis is a tentative statement or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence. it serves as a starting point for further investigation and must be testable through scientific methods.

ozone

B2

Ozone is a colorless gas found in the upper atmosphere that protects the Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation. It is also produced at ground level as a pollutant when sunlight reacts with industrial emissions.

layer

B2

A layer is a single thickness, sheet, or level of a material that covers a surface or is placed between other things. It can refer to physical substances like paint and geological strata, or abstract levels of complexity and meaning.

around

C2

As an adverb at a C2 level, it denotes presence, availability, or existence within a specific vicinity or context. It is also used to indicate approximate values or to describe movement or positioning that encircles a point or lacks a specific direction.

climate

B2

Climate refers to the long-term patterns of weather conditions, such as temperature and rainfall, in a particular region over many years. It can also describe the prevailing mood, conditions, or social atmosphere of a specific time or place.

immune

B2

Immune describes the state of being protected from a specific disease, typically through vaccination or prior exposure. It can also figuratively refer to being unaffected by something negative, such as criticism, or being exempt from certain duties or legal consequences.

virus

B2

A submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism, often causing disease. In technology, it refers to a piece of malicious code that replicates itself to damage or disrupt a computer system.

species

B2

A species is a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding. It is the basic unit of biological classification and taxonomic rank in the hierarchy of living things.

business

B2

Used as an attributive adjective to describe things related to professional commerce, trade, or work activities. It distinguishes professional matters from personal, social, or recreational ones.

contract

C1

A formal and legally binding agreement between two or more parties that establishes mutual obligations. In academic and legal contexts, it refers to the specific terms, conditions, and enforcement mechanisms that govern a transaction or relationship.

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