Servieren Examples, Sentences and Quiz in German
How do you actually use servieren — “to serve” — in a real sentence? This page shows you: twelve example sentences across the tenses, a short dialogue, the mistakes learners make most often with this verb, and a quiz to test yourself. Every German form on this page comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for servieren. Start with the simplest sentence: “Er serviert das Essen den Gästen.” — “He serves the food to the guests.”
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for servieren, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Servieren in real sentences
Twelve sentences with servieren, covering the present, the Präteritum, the Perfekt, the Plusquamperfekt, the future, Konjunktiv I and II, and the imperative. Say each one aloud, then cover the German and try to produce it from the English.
- “Ich serviere das Essen den Gästen.” — “I serve the food to the guests.”
- “Du servierst das Essen den Gästen.” — “You serve the food to the guests.”
- “Er serviert das Essen den Gästen.” — “He serves the food to the guests.”
- “Ich servierte das Essen den Gästen.” — “I served the food to the guests.”
- “Wir servierten das Essen den Gästen.” — “We served the food to the guests.”
- “Ich habe das Essen den Gästen serviert.” — “I have served the food to the guests.”
- “Du hast das Essen den Gästen serviert.” — “You have served the food to the guests.”
- “Ich hatte das Essen den Gästen serviert.” — “I had served the food to the guests.”
- “Wir werden das Essen den Gästen servieren.” — “We will serve the food to the guests.”
- “Ich werde das Essen den Gästen serviert haben.” — “I will have served the food to the guests.”
- “Es ist wichtig, dass ich das Essen den Gästen serviere.” — “It is important that I serve the food to the guests.”
- “Ich servierte das Essen den Gästen.” — “I would serve the food to the guests if I could.”
- “Ich hätte das Essen den Gästen serviert.” — “I would have served the food to the guests if I had been able to.”
- “Servier das Essen den Gästen!” — “Serve the food to the guests!”
A short dialogue with servieren
Anna and Ben talk about their plans. Every form of servieren in the dialogue comes from the verified tables — read it aloud, changing the person each time.
Anna: “Du servierst das Essen den Gästen?” — “You serve the food to the guests?”
Ben: “Ich serviere das Essen den Gästen.” — “I serve the food to the guests.”
Anna: “Du hast das Essen den Gästen serviert?” — “You have served the food to the guests?”
Ben: “Ich habe das Essen den Gästen serviert.” — “I have served the food to the guests.”
Anna: “Du wirst das Essen den Gästen servieren?” — “You will serve the food to the guests?”
Ben: “Ich werde das Essen den Gästen servieren.” — “I will serve the food to the guests.”
Anna: “Servier das Essen den Gästen!” — “Serve the food to the guests!”
Ben: “Ich serviere das Essen den Gästen.” — “I serve the food to the guests.”
Notice how the verb changes with the person and the tense while the meaning stays the same: serviere, servierst, habe serviert, werde servieren. If you can follow this dialogue without looking at the tables, you know servieren well enough to use it.
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Ich servieren das Essen den Gästen.”
✓ Right: “Ich serviere das Essen den Gästen.”
The infinitive servieren never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form serviere.
2. Confusing servieren with bestellen
✗ Wrong: “Ich bestellen das Essen den Gästen.” (using the wrong verb)
✓ Right: “Ich serviere das Essen den Gästen.”
servieren means “to serve”; bestellen means “to order”. Keep the two verbs apart by their meaning, not by their sound.
3. Using the present for a finished past event
✗ Wrong: “Ich serviere das Essen den Gästen.”
✓ Right: “Ich habe das Essen den Gästen serviert.”
Yesterday’s finished event needs the Perfekt (habe serviert), not the present.
4. Using the indicative after a Konjunktiv I trigger
✗ Wrong: “Es ist wichtig, dass du das Essen den Gästen servierst.”
✓ Right: “Es ist wichtig, dass du das Essen den Gästen servierest.”
After es ist wichtig, dass German needs Konjunktiv I, so use servierest here, not the indicative servierst.
Quiz: test yourself
What is the ich form of servieren in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) serviert
- B) serviere
- C) servieren
- D) servierst
What is the er/sie/es form of servieren in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) servierst
- B) serviere
- C) servieren
- D) serviert
What is the du form of servieren in the Preterite (Präteritum)?
- A) servierte
- B) serviertest
- C) serviertet
- D) servierten
What is the wir form of servieren in the Perfect (Perfekt)?
- A) hast serviert
- B) hat serviert
- C) habt serviert
- D) haben serviert
What is the ich form of servieren in the Future (Futur I)?
- A) werde servieren
- B) wirst servieren
- C) werden servieren
- D) werdet servieren
What is the du form of servieren in the Konjunktiv II?
- A) servierte
- B) serviertest
- C) servierten
- D) serviertet
What is the ich form of servieren in the Conditional perfect?
- A) hättet serviert
- B) hättest serviert
- C) hätten serviert
- D) hätte serviert
What is the past participle of servieren?
- A) servierte
- B) serviert
- C) servierend
- D) serviere
What is the present participle of servieren?
- A) servierend
- B) serviert
- C) serviere
- D) werde servieren
What does servieren mean in English?
- A) to order
- B) to come
- C) to serve
- D) to do
Answer key
- B) serviere — the ich form of servieren in the present tense is serviere.
- D) serviert — the er/sie/es form of servieren in the present tense is serviert.
- B) serviertest — the du form of servieren in the preterite is serviertest.
- D) haben serviert — the wir form of servieren in the Perfekt is haben serviert.
- A) werde servieren — the ich form of servieren in the Futur I is werde servieren.
- B) serviertest — the du form of servieren in the Konjunktiv II is serviertest.
- D) hätte serviert — the ich form of servieren in the conditional perfect is hätte serviert.
- B) serviert — the past participle of servieren is serviert; perfect tenses use haben + serviert.
- A) servierend — the present participle of servieren is servierend.
- C) to serve — servieren means “to serve” in English.
Frequently asked questions
What does servieren mean in English?
servieren means “to serve”. The examples above show it in everyday situations — for example, “Er serviert das Essen den Gästen.” (“He serves the food to the guests.”).
Is servieren regular or irregular?
servieren is regular: its endings follow the standard weak pattern in every tense. The full tables are on the conjugation page.
How do I use servieren in the Perfekt?
Use haben + the past participle serviert: “Ich habe das Essen den Gästen serviert.” — “I have served the food to the guests.” The full Perfekt table is on the conjugation page.
Related pages
- servieren conjugation — the full conjugation tables for this verb in every tense.
- servieren in the present tense — the full table and uses for this verb in one tense.
- German verbs — the full hub of German conjugation pages.
- German present tense guide — how this tense works for regular verbs.
- Einladen conjugation — another German verb to practise with.
- Treffen conjugation — another German verb to practise with.
- Spanish verbs — the full hub of Spanish conjugation pages.
- French verbs — the full hub of French conjugation pages.
- Verb Conjugator — practise servieren with the interactive tool.
- Verb Quiz — practise servieren with the interactive tool.
- Present Tense Conjugator — practise the present tense with the interactive tool.
- VerbFlow home — back to the start.