serve
serves
serving
served
Serve means to work for or assist someone, to provide food or drinks, or to fulfill a purpose. Regular verb: serve-served-served.
Meanings
- To work for or assist
- To provide food or drinks
- To fulfill a function or purpose
Common Collocations
serve a purpose
serve customers
serve time
serve notice
first come, first served
Tip for Learners
Serve time means to be in prison. Serve notice means to formally notify. Multiple meanings in different contexts.
Present Simple
| I | serve |
| you | serve |
| he/she/it | serves |
| we | serve |
| they | serve |
Examples - Present Simple
- I serve customers with a smile.
- You serve the community well.
- She serves breakfast at seven.
- We serve over a thousand clients.
- They serve excellent food here.
Present Continuous
| I | am serving |
| you | are serving |
| he/she/it | is serving |
| we | are serving |
| they | are serving |
Examples - Present Continuous
- I am serving dinner right now.
- You are serving your country proudly.
- He is serving a life sentence.
- We are serving our final customers.
- They are serving drinks on the terrace.
Present Perfect
| I | have served |
| you | have served |
| he/she/it | has served |
| we | have served |
| they | have served |
Examples - Present Perfect
- I have served in the army for ten years.
- You have served this company faithfully.
- She has served as chairperson twice.
- We have served thousands of meals.
- They have served the community for decades.
Present Perfect Continuous
| I | have been serving |
| you | have been serving |
| he/she/it | has been serving |
| we | have been serving |
| they | have been serving |
Examples - Present Perfect Continuous
- I have been serving customers all day.
- You have been serving your sentence.
- He has been serving in this role for years.
- We have been serving organic food.
- They have been serving the public well.
Past Simple
| I | served |
| you | served |
| he/she/it | served |
| we | served |
| they | served |
Examples - Past Simple
- I served in the military during the war.
- You served the tea beautifully.
- She served as ambassador for five years.
- We served dinner at eight.
- They served the warrant this morning.
Past Continuous
| I | was serving |
| you | were serving |
| he/she/it | was serving |
| we | were serving |
| they | were serving |
Examples - Past Continuous
- I was serving breakfast when the fire started.
- You were serving the wrong table.
- He was serving time in prison.
- We were serving lunch to the guests.
- They were serving refreshments.
Past Perfect
| I | had served |
| you | had served |
| he/she/it | had served |
| we | had served |
| they | had served |
Examples - Past Perfect
- I had served my term before the election.
- You had served notice already.
- She had served in three different posts.
- We had served every customer by closing time.
- They had served their purpose.
Past Perfect Continuous
| I | had been serving |
| you | had been serving |
| he/she/it | had been serving |
| we | had been serving |
| they | had been serving |
Examples - Past Perfect Continuous
- I had been serving for twenty years before retiring.
- You had been serving in that capacity.
- He had been serving the wrong customers.
- We had been serving breakfast for hours.
- They had been serving the community.
Future Simple
| I | will serve |
| you | will serve |
| he/she/it | will serve |
| we | will serve |
| they | will serve |
Examples - Future Simple
- I will serve you to the best of my ability.
- You will serve justice one day.
- She will serve her full term.
- We will serve dinner at seven.
- They will serve the papers tomorrow.
Future Continuous
| I | will be serving |
| you | will be serving |
| he/she/it | will be serving |
| we | will be serving |
| they | will be serving |
Examples - Future Continuous
- I will be serving refreshments at the party.
- You will be serving on the jury.
- He will be serving his country abroad.
- We will be serving lunch from noon.
- They will be serving customers until midnight.
Future Perfect
| I | will have served |
| you | will have served |
| he/she/it | will have served |
| we | will have served |
| they | will have served |
Examples - Future Perfect
- I will have served thirty years by retirement.
- You will have served your sentence.
- She will have served in every department.
- We will have served a million customers.
- They will have served their time.
Future Perfect Continuous
| I | will have been serving |
| you | will have been serving |
| he/she/it | will have been serving |
| we | will have been serving |
| they | will have been serving |
Examples - Future Perfect Continuous
- I will have been serving for two decades.
- You will have been serving the public.
- He will have been serving in that role.
- We will have been serving this community.
- They will have been serving excellent food.