The verb servir...usually means "to function" not serve?

Question

I may be reading my lesson incorrectly so a little help por favor. It says that servir is not used very often to mean "to serve" as in serve me a glass of wine. You more often hear it in "No sirve me teléfono. = My phone doesn't work" or "¿Para qué sirve? = What is it used for?" and finally, "¿En qué le puedo servir? = May I help you?"

I would have used ayudar instead of servir to mean "to help" so is my thinking wrong? And, if you are not suppose to use servir to serve coffee then what verb should you use {more common}?

Gracias

Answer 1

Very often servir = funcionar = function. No sirve mí teléfono = My telephone doesn't function = My phone isn't working. ¿Para qué sirve? = What is it's function? = What is it used for? In a sense it's sort of still to serve. It's serving it's purpose or it's not.

On the other hand, "¿En qué le puedo servir? = How may I serve you? = How may I help you? This is a very old phrase, back when there was a lot more serving going on. So servir can mean to serve, as well.

Kevin, loved your answer. Then I can use ayudar in a modern sense? - foxluv, Oct 11, 2010

¿En qué puedo servirle? is very, very common, but ayudarle works, too. - KevinB, Oct 11, 2010

Answer 2

Eso no me sirve..... that's no help to me.... that doesn't work for me. I think of servir mostly as "to work" and it can be used figuratively as well. Gracias.

Gracias, very good jezzle. I will have to change my flashcard to "work;function". - foxluv, Oct 11, 2010

Answer 3

Por favor, sírvame un café = tráigame un café.

and not, you´re thinking is not wrong. maybe the lesson is not too clear. You can perfectly say ¨en qué lo puedo ayudar instead of ¨en qué le puedo servir¨

servir has 18 entries in DRAE. check it out

And you were right, the lesson was really cloudy, that is why I posted. Thanks to all for bringing in the sun. - foxluv, Oct 11, 2010

Answer 4

Mi teléfono no funciona. = My telephone is not working. No sirve para nada. It is useless, good for nothing, you use the verb servir to describe what purpose a thing is good for. Sirve para comunicar, you can also use it to serve something, ¿Te sirvo un poco más vino? can I pour you a little more wine?

Gee, that was a new use. So if I say "I am serving dinner at 8" what verb do you use? - foxluv, Oct 11, 2010

Serviré la cena a las ocho.= I will be serving dinner at eight o clock. - kenwilliams, Oct 11, 2010

Answer 5

Hey,

"¿En qué le puedo servir?" is more common just like saying "¿Cómo te llamas?" instead of saying "¿Cual es tu nombre?". Both are correct, right? But the point is that which one do we use more?

Yes, "to serve" is mostly used for saiyng "to be useful" but this doesn't mean that serving a drink can't be said with the same verb. You can see this on the dictionary as well.

but...is it the most common way to use servir? - foxluv, Oct 11, 2010

Answer 6

And, of course, 'serve' has the same two uses in English e.g. "That beam serves to support the roof."

Answer 7

Its common to use servir as the way you are thinknig.

Answer 8

Would you ask someone to serve you a cup of coffee or pour you one?