serve

serve — verb

1. to put food or drinks in front of people so they can eat or drink, especially at

1.動詞及物 / 不及物A2
釋義

to put food or drinks in front of people so they can eat or drink, especially at a meal, party, or restaurant

例句

Jessica served the soup in small white bowls with warm bread on the side.

serve + object + in + container

At Thai weddings, the rice is usually served before the curry.

passive: be served

同義詞
  • dish up

    informal; emphasises putting food onto plates

  • serve up

    informal phrasal verb; suggests presenting a meal

  • wait on

    focuses on attending to diners rather than the food itself

文法句型

serve + food/drink

serve + somebody + food

serve + food + adjective (hot/cold/chilled)

用法筆記

Frequently passive when the food itself is the subject ('the fish is served with lemon'). Often takes an adjective complement describing the dish's state (hot, cold, chilled, raw).

常見錯誤

❌She served us with coffee.
✅She served us coffee.
💡use double object (us coffee), not 'with' for the drink itself.
❌The cake was served warmly.
✅The cake was served warm.
💡use the adjective 'warm', not the adverb, to describe the food's state.

2. to attend to a customer behind the counter of a shop, bar, or hotel — writing do

2.動詞及物B1
釋義

to attend to a customer behind the counter of a shop, bar, or hotel — writing down what they want, fetching items, or handling payment

例句

Christopher served the next customer in the queue with a polite smile.

serve + customer (retail context)

Are you being served, sir, or are you still looking around?

fixed shop phrase: 'are you being served?'

同義詞
  • wait on

    focuses on table service in restaurants

  • attend to

    more formal; common in hotels and high-end shops

  • help

    informal alternative ('Can I help you?')

文法句型

serve + customer

be served by + somebody

are you being served?

用法筆記

Frequently passive ('was I served?', 'are you being served?'). Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 focuses on the food itself ('she served the soup'); this sense focuses on the customer ('she served the man at table four').

常見錯誤

❌Has anyone served to you?
✅Has anyone served you?
💡the customer is a direct object; no preposition.
❌I am served now, thank you.
✅I'm being served now, thank you.
💡use the present continuous passive when the action is ongoing.

3. to work for an organisation, country, or cause, often loyally and over a long pe

3.動詞及物 / 不及物C1
釋義

to work for an organisation, country, or cause, often loyally and over a long period — for example as a soldier, government official, or employee

例句

Arjun served the railway company for thirty years before retiring last June.

serve + organisation (long-period)

Both of Apinya's grandfathers served in the Thai navy during the 1960s.

serve in + branch of military

同義詞
  • work for

    neutral, used for any employer including individuals

  • represent

    stresses acting on behalf of (a country, a constituency)

文法句型

serve + organisation/country/cause

serve as + role

serve in + military/government

用法筆記

Object is typically an institution (a company, the army, a church, the public), a country, or a cause — not an individual person in modern usage. Carries a tone of duty or loyalty; for ordinary employment, use 'work for'.

常見錯誤

❌He serves my uncle as a driver.
✅He works for my uncle as a driver.
💡modern English uses 'serve' for institutions or causes, not individual employers.
❌She served at the army.
✅She served in the army.
💡the preposition is 'in' for branches of the military or government.

4. to be useful for a particular purpose, or to function as something — for example

4.動詞及物 / 不及物C1
釋義

to be useful for a particular purpose, or to function as something — for example, an old box that serves as a chair when guests arrive

例句

An empty paint tin can serve as a stool when there are too many guests.

serve as + noun (substitute use)

The photo serves to remind Takeshi of his hometown in Hokkaido.

serve to + infinitive (purpose)

同義詞
  • function as

    neutral, slightly more formal

  • act as

    emphasises a temporary or substitute role

  • do

    informal; 'this will do as a pillow'

文法句型

serve as + noun

serve to + infinitive

serve + purpose

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 3 ('work for an institution'): here the subject is usually a thing or abstract action, and the meaning is functional rather than employment-based. Often appears with 'as' (function) or 'to + infinitive' (purpose).

常見錯誤

❌The box serves like a table.
✅The box serves as a table.
💡the fixed preposition is 'as', not 'like'.
❌This serves for showing the result.
✅This serves to show the result.
💡use a to-infinitive after 'serve' when stating a purpose.

5. to give a regular supply, service, or facility to a place or group of people — t

5.動詞及物C1
釋義

to give a regular supply, service, or facility to a place or group of people — typically said of buses, hospitals, power lines, or shops

例句

Two buses serve the mountain villages every morning except Sundays.

transport + serve + area

The new clinic serves about four thousand families across three farming districts.

serve + group of people

同義詞
  • supply

    focus on the goods or service being delivered

  • cater to

    stresses meeting the specific needs of a group

  • cover

    common for transport routes and broadcast areas

文法句型

serve + area/group

serve + somebody + with + something

用法筆記

Subject is typically a service, utility, or facility (a bus route, a hospital, a power line, a shop); object is the area or community receiving the service. Use 'with' to add the specific product or service supplied.

常見錯誤

❌The bus serves to the airport.
✅The bus serves the airport.
💡this sense takes a direct object; no preposition before the area.
❌This shop serves for the village.
✅This shop serves the village.
💡drop 'for'; the place served is the direct object.

6. to spend a fixed length of time in jail or prison as punishment for a crime.

6.動詞及物B2
釋義

to spend a fixed length of time in jail or prison as punishment for a crime.

例句

Rania served six months in jail for tax fraud before being released early.

serve + duration + in + [prison]

Dahlia is serving a ten-year sentence at the federal prison in Texas.

serve + a [length] sentence

同義詞
  • do

    informal: 'do time', 'do five years' — same meaning, casual register

文法句型

serve + [length of sentence]

serve + time

用法筆記

Object is the length of time or the sentence itself ('serve five years', 'serve a life sentence'). Distinct from sense 10: this sense is restricted to imprisonment as criminal punishment, while sense 10 covers any fixed appointment or duty.

常見錯誤

❌He served in prison five years.
✅He served five years in prison.
💡the duration goes directly after 'served', and 'in prison' follows.

7. in tennis, volleyball, badminton, and similar games, to begin a point by hitting

7.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

in tennis, volleyball, badminton, and similar games, to begin a point by hitting the ball (or, in badminton, the shuttlecock) toward your opponent.

例句

Noa tossed the ball high and served an ace down the center line.

serve + an ace (object = type of serve)

It was Élise's turn to serve, so she walked back to the baseline.

intransitive: whose turn it is to serve

反義詞
  • receive

    the opposing action: receive the ball after the opponent serves

文法句型

serve + [the ball]

serve (intransitive)

用法筆記

Used both transitively (with 'the ball', 'an ace', 'a winner' as object) and intransitively ('it's your turn to serve'). The subject is the player who starts the point, never the receiver.

常見錯誤

❌She received the ball and served it back.
✅She received the ball and hit it back.
💡'serve' only refers to the opening shot of a point, not later returns.

8. to formally hand or deliver an official court paper to a person, requiring that

8.動詞及物C1
釋義

to formally hand or deliver an official court paper to a person, requiring that person to attend a court hearing or comply with a judge's order.

例句

A court officer served the landlord with an eviction notice on Tuesday morning.

serve + [person] + with + [document]

The summons was served on the company secretary at her downtown office.

passive: be served on + [person]

同義詞
  • deliver

    general; lacks the formal legal sense unless context makes it clear

文法句型

serve + [person] + with + [document]

serve + [document] + on + [person]

用法筆記

Two patterns are interchangeable: 'serve [person] with [document]' or 'serve [document] on [person]'. Frequently passive ('was served with a writ'). Object is always an official legal paper such as a writ, summons, subpoena, or notice.

常見錯誤

❌The officer served a warrant to the suspect.
✅The officer served the suspect with a warrant.' or 'The officer served a warrant on the suspect.
💡use 'with' or 'on', not 'to'.

9. if a thing, plan, or quality serves someone, it helps them or works in their fav

9.動詞及物C2
釋義

if a thing, plan, or quality serves someone, it helps them or works in their favour — often said about luck, memory, timing, or a strategy

例句

Eve's quick thinking served her well during the kitchen fire on Tuesday.

serve + somebody + well

If memory serves me, the bakery on the corner closes at six.

fixed phrase: if memory serves

同義詞
反義詞

文法句型

serve + somebody + well/badly

serve + somebody's + interests/needs

用法筆記

Subject is usually an abstract quality, ability, or circumstance (memory, patience, luck, timing); object is a person. Almost always pairs with an adverb of evaluation ('well', 'badly', 'better than') — rarely stands alone.

常見錯誤

❌Her honesty served.
✅Her honesty served her well.
💡this sense needs both an object (the person helped) and an adverb of evaluation.
❌If my memory serves me good…
✅If memory serves me well…' or '…if memory serves…
💡use 'well' (adverb), or the elliptical fixed phrase.

10. to put in or complete a fixed period of office or appointment until it ends — fo

10.動詞及物C2
釋義

to put in or complete a fixed period of office or appointment until it ends — for example, finishing the remaining months of a presidency, an apprenticeship, or a tour of duty

例句

Ignacio served two full terms as mayor before the new election rules forced him out.

serve + [number] terms (completing fixed appointments)

Hari served out the remaining eight months of the chairman's term after the resignation.

serve out + remainder of a fixed term

同義詞
  • complete

    neutral; works for any finished period, whereas 'serve' implies a duty or appointment

  • see out

    informal; emphasises lasting until the end of a fixed period

文法句型

serve + [period/term/sentence]

serve out + [the rest of one's term]

用法筆記

Object names a fixed, time-bounded appointment (a term, a tour of duty, an apprenticeship) — the focus is finishing the period, not the loyalty service of sense 3. Often appears with 'out' ('serve out the rest of his term') or with a numeral + duration ('serve two terms', 'serve a six-month tour').

常見錯誤

❌Sari served in mayor for two terms.
✅Sari served as mayor for two terms.
💡use 'as' before the role, not 'in'.
❌He served thirty years in the navy and loved every day.
✅He served in the navy for thirty years and loved every day.
💡when stressing loyal service rather than a single fixed term, use sense 3's pattern (serve in + branch + for + duration).

serve — noun