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Conjugation Chart

“Servir” (to serve) in the Imperfect Tense

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Understanding the Imperfect Tense of “Servir”

The Imperfect Tense of servir is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example: Yo servía la cena a las 8 p.m. (I used to serve dinner at 8 p.m.).

Servir is a regular -ir verb, so its Imperfect Tense conjugations follow the typical pattern for that verb type.

How to Use Servir in the Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense of servir is used to describe ongoing, repeated or habitual actions in the past.

To serve food or drinks: For example, Yo servía las bebidas en la fiesta. (I served the drinks at the party.)

To be useful or helpful: For example, Este diccionario me servía mucho para estudiar español. (This dictionary was very useful for me to study Spanish.)

To attend or wait on someone: For example, El mesero nos servía con mucha amabilidad. (The waiter served us very kindly.)

Colloquially, to insult or put someone down: For example, Siempre me servía con sus comentarios hirientes. (He always put me down with his hurtful comments.)

Real Life Examples of Servir in the Imperfect Tense

Yo servía las mesas en el restaurante los fines de semana. (I used to serve tables at the restaurant on weekends.)

Ella servía en el ejército antes de retirarse. (She used to serve in the army before retiring.)

Nosotros servíamos la comida a los invitados en la fiesta. (We used to serve food to the guests at the party.)

Ellos servían tragos en el bar hasta muy tarde. (They used to serve drinks at the bar until very late.)

Tú servías de voluntario en el refugio de animales. (You used to volunteer at the animal shelter.)

Él servía de intérprete durante las reuniones internacionales. (He used to serve as an interpreter during international meetings.)

Ellas servían el desayuno en la cama a sus esposos. (They used to serve breakfast in bed to their husbands.)

Ustedes servían la mesa con elegancia en las cenas formales. (You used to set the table elegantly for formal dinners.)

Yo servía de ejemplo para mis hermanos menores. (I used to serve as an example for my younger siblings.)

Él servía en la iglesia como monaguillo. (He used to serve at the church as an altar boy.)

Nosotros servíamos la cena temprano cuando los niños eran pequeños. (We used to serve dinner early when the kids were little.)

Ellos servían el vino en copas de cristal. (They used to serve the wine in crystal glasses.)

Tú servías de mediador en los conflictos familiares. (You used to serve as a mediator in family conflicts.)

Ella servía en el comité de bienvenida del vecindario. (She used to serve on the neighborhood welcome committee.)

Ellas servían el té de la tarde con pastelitos. (They used to serve afternoon tea with pastries.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Servir (to serve) in the Imperfect Tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Imperfect tense is also known as the Past Imperfect, Descriptive Past, Past Progressive, or Imperfect Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Imperfecto, Copretérito, Imperfecto de Indicativo, or Pasado Descriptivo in Spanish.