serves

IPA/sɜːv/
KK[sˈɚvz]IPA/sɝːv/

serves — 動詞

  • 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

1.動詞及物 / 不及物A2
釋義

端上

將食物或飲料端給他人

to give someone food or drink to eat or drink, especially during a meal or at a social event

例句

Jiwoo served her guests a three-course meal on her birthday.

Jiwoo 在生日當天為客人端上了三道菜的晚餐。

The restaurant near the park serves breakfast all day long.

公園附近那家餐廳全天供應早餐。

serve + meal without article

同義詞
  • dish up

    more informal; suggests putting food onto plates

  • present

    more formal; emphasizes the way food is offered

  • provide

    broader meaning; not limited to food or drink

反義詞

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

❌The restaurant serves a breakfast from six in the morning.
✅The restaurant serves breakfast from six in the morning.
💡Meal names like breakfast, lunch, and dinner usually do not take an article.

2. to spend time working for an organization, country, or person, carrying out a pa

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

服務；效力

為國家、機構等工作或盡責

to spend time working for an organization, country, or person, carrying out a particular role or duty

例句

Rodrigo served in the navy for twelve years before retiring.

Rodrigo 在海軍服役了十二年才退伍。

serve + in + organization

Elena has served the same hospital for over thirty years now.

Elena 在同一家醫院服務已經超過三十年。

同義詞

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

❌She served as teacher at the school for twenty years.
✅She served as a teacher at the school for twenty years.
💡An article is needed after 'serve as' when the role is a countable noun.

3. to be suitable for a particular use or to fulfill a specific function — whether

3.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

作為；有用

有助於達成某目的或當作某用途

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

例句

The old wooden crate serves as a small table by the sofa.

那個舊木箱在沙發旁邊充當小桌子。

A free community hotline serves to connect elderly residents with meal delivery services during the winter months.

一條免費的社區熱線在冬季協助將餐點送給獨居長者。

serve + to-infinitive

同義詞
  • 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

❌This box can serve like a chair.
✅This box can serve as a chair.
💡Use 'serve as', not 'serve like', when describing function.

4. to be of use or benefit to a person, commonly with adverbs such as 'well' or 'fa

4.動詞及物B1
釋義

有益於

對某人有益處或派上用場

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

例句

Emily's natural charm served the needs of the sales department for years.

Emily 天生的魅力在多年間滿足了業務部門的需求。

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.

Rania 把手機忘在咖啡廳櫃檯上，只好走回去拿，真是活該。

fixed expression: it serves someone right

同義詞
  • benefit

    more formal; stronger focus on gain or advantage

  • aid

    more formal; implies active assistance

反義詞
  • harm

    to cause damage or trouble rather than help

  • fail

    to be inadequate or not meet expectations

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

❌My old shoes served me good for years.
✅My old shoes served me well for years.
💡Use the adverb 'well', not the adjective 'good', after 'serve someone'.

5. to supply a place, group, or person with something necessary or useful, such as

5.動詞及物B1
釋義

供應（所需）

提供某地或某人所需的東西

to supply a place, group, or person with something necessary or useful, such as electricity, water, or services

例句

This new power station serves the whole town with electricity.

這座新發電廠為整個城鎮供應電力。

serve + place + with + resource

One small clinic serves the medical needs of eight thousand people.

一家小診所服務了八千人的醫療需求。

serve + needs

同義詞
  • supply

    more direct; focuses on providing necessary goods or resources

  • provide for

    emphasises meeting the needs of a group or area

反義詞
  • 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

❌The hospital serves for the whole region.
✅The hospital serves the whole region.
💡'Serve' (meaning supply/provide for) does not take the preposition 'for'.

6. to attend to people who visit a store, eat at a restaurant, or stay at a hotel,

6.動詞及物 / 不及物A2
釋義

接待

在商店、餐廳等處接待顧客

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

例句

The shop assistant served three customers while I waited outside.

我在外面等的時候，店員已經服務了三名顧客。

Maeve served at the electronics section of a department store for two summers during college, helping customers choose laptops.

Maeve 在大學期間的兩個暑假都在百貨公司的電子產品區服務，幫客人挑選筆電。

serve at + place of work

同義詞
  • attend to

    more formal; implies careful attention to a customer's needs

  • help

    more general; works in any customer-service setting

  • wait on

    specifically in restaurants or formal hospitality

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

❌I am serving at the restaurant for five years now.
✅I have been serving at the restaurant for five years now.
💡Use present perfect continuous for an action that started in the past and continues.

7. to complete a fixed, often officially designated period in a particular role or

7.動詞及物B2
釋義

擔任；從事

花一段時間擔任某職務或做某事

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

例句

Yuna served a two-year apprenticeship at a bakery in Tokyo before opening her own shop.

Yuna 在東京一家麵包店當了兩年學徒，之後才開了自己的店。

serve + [period] + at [place/role]

Senator Okonkwo served three terms in the state legislature and helped pass several new laws.

Okonkwo 參議員在州議會任職三屆，協助通過了幾項新法律。

同義詞
  • hold

    used for official positions; 'hold office' is more formal than 'serve'

  • undertake

    emphasises accepting a responsibility; less frequent in everyday speech

  • work as

    more general and less formal; can replace 'serve as' in many contexts

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

❌I served for a consultant for two years.
✅I served as a consultant for two years.
💡to state the role you held, use 'as', not 'for'.

8. to spend a period of time in prison as punishment for a crime that a court has d

8.動詞及物B2
釋義

服刑

在監獄中度過刑期

to spend a period of time in prison as punishment for a crime that a court has decided you are guilty of.

例句

The bank robber served eight years in federal prison for the heist.

那名銀行搶匪因搶案在聯邦監獄服刑八年。

serve + [period] + in prison for [crime]

After a long trial, Tariq was sentenced to five years but served only three.

經過長達數月的審判，Tariq 被判五年徒刑，但只服了三年刑期。

同義詞
  • 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

❌He served the crime for five years.
✅He served five years for the crime.
💡the object of 'serve' is the time period or 'time', not the name of the crime.

9. in tennis, volleyball, badminton, and other games played across a net, to strike

9.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

發球

在網球等運動中擊球開始比賽

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.

例句

Andrés served the ball so fast that the return barely cleared the net.

Andrés 發球速度極快，對方的回球勉強越過網子。

serve + the ball; serve as first shot in tennis

With the score tied at five all, Yuna stepped up to serve.

比數來到五比五平手時，Yuna 走上前準備發球。

文法句型

serve + the ball + to/at [opponent]

serve + [direction/placement]

常見錯誤

❌He served me the ball in tennis.
✅He served the ball to me.
💡in sports, the indirect object requires 'to'; do not treat this like 'serve someone food'.

10. to officially give someone a legal document — such as a court summons, a subpoen

10.動詞及物C1
釋義

送達

正式將法律文件交給當事人

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.

例句

A bailiff served a court summons on the landlord the next morning.

法警隔天早上就把法院傳票送達給了房東。

serve + [document] + on + [person]

Ravindra was served with an eviction notice after falling behind on the rent.

Ravindra 因為遲繳房租而收到了驅逐通知。

同義詞
  • 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

❌The lawyer served the document without saying who received it.
✅The lawyer served the document on the defendant.
💡in legal contexts, you must specify the recipient using 'on' or 'with'.

serves — 名詞