serves
serves — verb
- servespresent simple I / you / we / they
- serveses3rd person singular
- servesing-ing form
- servesedpast simple
1. to give someone food or drink to eat or drink, especially during a meal or at a
to give someone food or drink to eat or drink, especially during a meal or at a social event
Jiwoo served her guests a three-course meal on her birthday.
The restaurant near the park serves breakfast all day long.
serve + meal without article
Emre served himself a large bowl of warm soup and a thick slice of bread before sitting down to study.
The waiter served the table with a fresh pot of hot tea.
- withhold
to refuse to give food or drink
文法句型
serve + meal/drink
serve + person + meal/drink
serve + person + with + item
用法筆記
Common in both transitive (serve dinner) and intransitive (serve at the table) patterns. When the recipient is mentioned, no preposition is needed before the food or drink.
常見錯誤
2. to spend time working for an organization, country, or person, carrying out a pa
to spend time working for an organization, country, or person, carrying out a particular role or duty
Rodrigo served in the navy for twelve years before retiring.
serve + in + organization
Elena has served the same hospital for over thirty years now.
Sirin served as the school principal for nearly a decade.
After finishing his training, Arjun served his country as a medic at a military hospital for three years.
- work for
more general; emphasises employment rather than duty
- devote oneself to
more formal and emotional in tone
文法句型
serve + as + role
serve + in + organization/place
serve + organization/country
用法筆記
Subject is typically a person working for a country, institution, or employer. The pattern 'serve as + role' is very common for describing someone's position.
常見錯誤
3. to be suitable for a particular use or to fulfill a specific function — whether
to be suitable for a particular use or to fulfill a specific function — whether an object, place, or situation plays the role of something else or helps bring about a result
The old wooden crate serves as a small table by the sofa.
A free community hotline serves to connect elderly residents with meal delivery services during the winter months.
serve + to-infinitive
Noa's notes served as a useful guide for the new students.
The room serves two purposes as a study and a guest room.
- function as
more neutral; focuses on the role something plays
- act as
temporary or substitute role
文法句型
serve + as + noun phrase
serve + to-infinitive
serve + a purpose/function
用法筆記
The subject is usually a thing or situation, not a person. Often followed by 'as' (serve as something) or 'to + infinitive' (serve to do something).
常見錯誤
4. to be of use or benefit to a person, commonly with adverbs such as 'well' or 'fa
to be of use or benefit to a person, commonly with adverbs such as 'well' or 'faithfully'; also in the fixed expression 'it serves someone right', meaning a bad outcome is deserved because of the person's own actions
Emily's natural charm served the needs of the sales department for years.
serve the needs of — different object pattern
It served Rania right that she had to walk back to the cafe after forgetting her phone on the counter.
fixed expression: it serves someone right
Iker's careful planning served him well throughout the journey.
The old bicycle served Rania faithfully for almost ten years.
文法句型
serve + someone + adverb (well, right, faithfully)
it serves someone right
用法筆記
Often used with an adverb such as 'well', 'right', or 'faithfully'. The fixed expression 'it serves someone right' expresses that a person deserves a misfortune because of their actions.
常見錯誤
5. to supply a place, group, or person with something necessary or useful, such as
to supply a place, group, or person with something necessary or useful, such as electricity, water, or services
This new power station serves the whole town with electricity.
serve + place + with + resource
One small clinic serves the medical needs of eight thousand people.
serve + needs
The entire eastern district is served by a single water treatment facility.
A single pumping station provides more than twenty thousand households across the valley with water.
- supply
more direct; focuses on providing necessary goods or resources
- provide for
emphasises meeting the needs of a group or area
- neglect
to fail to provide what is needed
文法句型
serve + place/group + with + resource
serve + needs/demands
用法筆記
The object is typically a place (town, region) or group of people. Often followed by 'with' to introduce the resource being supplied.
常見錯誤
6. to attend to people who visit a store, eat at a restaurant, or stay at a hotel,
to attend to people who visit a store, eat at a restaurant, or stay at a hotel, for example by taking orders or showing products
The shop assistant served three customers while I waited outside.
Maeve served at the electronics section of a department store for two summers during college, helping customers choose laptops.
serve at + place of work
Are you being served? the salesperson asked with a friendly smile.
The hotel staff served the guests quickly and with great care.
文法句型
serve + customer
passive: be served
serve at + store/place
用法筆記
Very common in service-industry contexts. The passive question 'are you being served?' is a standard greeting used by shop assistants.
常見錯誤
7. to complete a fixed, often officially designated period in a particular role or
to complete a fixed, often officially designated period in a particular role or position — such as a political term, an apprenticeship, or a term on a board or committee — distinct from the general act of working for an employer or institution
Yuna served a two-year apprenticeship at a bakery in Tokyo before opening her own shop.
serve + [period] + at [place/role]
Senator Okonkwo served three terms in the state legislature and helped pass several new laws.
Before joining the company, Marco served as a consultant for five years.
Élise served on the hospital board for six years and improved patient care.
文法句型
serve + [period of time] + as/in/on/for [role/place]
用法筆記
Object is typically a period of time (three years, a term) or a type of role (apprenticeship, internship). Followed by 'as' to state the role, 'in' for an organisation, or 'on' for a committee or board.
常見錯誤
8. to spend a period of time in prison as punishment for a crime that a court has d
to spend a period of time in prison as punishment for a crime that a court has decided you are guilty of.
The bank robber served eight years in federal prison for the heist.
serve + [period] + in prison for [crime]
After a long trial, Tariq was sentenced to five years but served only three.
Amani served time for a minor offence committed when she was nineteen.
The judge ordered Ilan to serve his sentence at a minimum-security facility.
- do
informal; 'do time' is a common colloquial alternative
文法句型
serve + [period of time] + in prison/jail
serve + [a sentence / time / a life term]
用法筆記
Object is typically a period (five years, life) or a type of sentence. The phrase 'serve time' is a fixed collocation meaning a prison stay. Frequently passive: 'he was served a sentence' is less common; active 'he served a sentence' is preferred.
常見錯誤
9. in tennis, volleyball, badminton, and other games played across a net, to strike
in tennis, volleyball, badminton, and other games played across a net, to strike the ball so that it travels over the net and begins a rally.
Andrés served the ball so fast that the return barely cleared the net.
serve + the ball; serve as first shot in tennis
With the score tied at five all, Yuna stepped up to serve.
Pim practiced serving into the far corner of the service box for hours.
Ravindra served three aces in a row and won the game easily.
文法句型
serve + the ball + to/at [opponent]
serve + [direction/placement]
常見錯誤
10. to officially give someone a legal document — such as a court summons, a subpoen
to officially give someone a legal document — such as a court summons, a subpoena, or an eviction notice — that requires them to appear in court or follow a legal instruction.
A bailiff served a court summons on the landlord the next morning.
serve + [document] + on + [person]
Ravindra was served with an eviction notice after falling behind on the rent.
The sheriff served a subpoena on three witnesses before the trial began.
Ezra was served with court papers ordering him to appear in court next month.
- deliver
more general; 'deliver' does not carry the legal connotation of a formal obligation
文法句型
serve + [document] + on/upon + [person]
serve + [person] + with + [document]
用法筆記
This sense belongs to formal legal language. Two common patterns exist: 'serve + document + on + person' and 'serve + person + with + document'. The passive form 'was served with' is very frequent.
常見錯誤
serves — noun
- servessingular
- servesesplural
1. in tennis, volleyball, badminton, and other net-based games, the opening stroke
in tennis, volleyball, badminton, and other net-based games, the opening stroke that sends the ball across the net to begin a point
Hyun's first serve went straight over the net and landed just inside the service line.
collocation: first serve / second serve
The tennis coach showed Yael how to hit a powerful serve using her whole body.
Sade won the match with a fast serve that her opponent could not even touch.
In professional tennis, a serve can travel at over two hundred kilometres an hour.
Rodrigo practised his serve for hours until he could place the ball where he wanted.
- service
used in compound terms such as 'service line' and 'service game,' but less common than 'serve' as a standalone noun for the action itself
- opening shot
more general; can refer to the first hit in any sport, not just over-a-net games
- return
the shot that follows and responds to the serve
文法句型
[possessive] + serve
serve + [adjective]
用法筆記
Often modified by adjectives describing the type or quality: first serve, second serve, powerful serve, fast serve, or ace serve. The noun 'serve' describes the action as an event; the verb 'serve' describes the act of hitting.