servir

Senses

1. 1.

   to serve

   to provide food or drink to someone

2. 2.

   to serve

   to be useful or helpful for a purpose

3. 3.

   to serve

   to work for someone or an organization

4. 4.

   to serve

   in tennis/volleyball, to put the ball in play

Examples

• "Elle me serve un verre de vin."

  She serves me a glass of wine.

• "À quoi ça sert? - Ça sert à couper le pain."

  What's it for? - It's for cutting bread.

• "Il a servi son pays pendant 20 ans."

  He served his country for 20 years.

Usage

Common in everyday French with multiple senses. Note the pronominal form se servir (to help oneself, to use). In sports contexts, the serve is often called le service. The impersonal construction *ça sert à* (it's used for) is very common.