Servieren Present Tense Conjugation in German

The present tense of servieren — “to serve” — is the form you need for habits, facts and what is happening now. This page gives you the complete present tense table for servieren, how it is formed, when to use it, the mistakes learners make with it, and a quiz to check yourself. The first example shows it in action: “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.

Present Tense conjugation of servieren

Every form in the table below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for servieren. servieren is a regular weak verb, so you can build the present tense from the regular endings once you know the stem.

Present (Präsens) — servieren

Person Form
ich serviere
du servierst
er/sie/es serviert
wir servieren
ihr serviert
sie/Sie servieren

The present participle of servieren is servierend and the past participle is serviert. You need the participle for the perfect tenses, and the present participle for adjectival use.

How the present tense of servieren is formed

For a regular weak verb, the present tense is built on the stem servier- (the infinitive servieren without its -en ending) plus the present tense endings: ich → serviere, du → servierst, er/sie/es → serviert, wir → servieren, ihr → serviert, sie/Sie → servieren. So servieren gives serviere, servierst, serviert, servieren, serviert, servieren.

When to use the present tense of servieren

1. Habits and routines

Use the present tense for habits and routines. For example, with servieren: “Ich serviere das Essen den Gästen.” — “I serve the food to the guests.” Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

2. General truths and facts

Use the present tense for general truths and facts. For example, with servieren: “Du servierst das Essen den Gästen.” — “You serve the food to the guests.” Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

3. What is happening right now

Use the present tense for what is happening right now. For example, with servieren: “Er serviert das Essen den Gästen.” — “He serves the food to the guests.” Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

4. Scheduled plans and the near future

Use the present tense for scheduled plans and the near future. For example, with servieren: “Wir servieren das Essen den Gästen.” — “We serve the food to the guests.” Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

5. Narration and instructions

Use the present tense for narration and instructions. For example, with servieren: “Sie servieren das Essen den Gästen.” — “They serve the food to the guests.” Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

Present vs future: servieren now, servieren later

The present and the future both talk about things that have not happened yet in one sense, but they are not interchangeable. The present is for what is true now or already fixed; the future is for what will happen and is not yet certain. Compare the pairs below — the present form comes from this page, the future form from the full conjugation table.

  • Present: “Ich serviere das Essen den Gästen.” — “I serve the food to the guests.”

  • Future: “Ich werde das Essen den Gästen servieren.” — “I will serve the food to the guests.”

  • Present: “Du servierst das Essen den Gästen.” — “You serve the food to the guests.”

  • Future: “Du wirst das Essen den Gästen servieren.” — “You will serve the food to the guests.”

  • Present: “Wir servieren das Essen den Gästen.” — “We serve the food to the guests.”

  • Future: “Wir werden das Essen den Gästen servieren.” — “We will serve the food to the guests.”

Example sentences: servieren in the present tense

Six sentences using only the present tense of servieren, with English translations. Read them aloud — saying the forms is the fastest way to fix them in memory.

  • “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.”
  • “Wir servieren das Essen den Gästen.” — “We serve the food to the guests.”
  • “Ihr serviert das Essen den Gästen.” — “You serve the food to the guests.”
  • “Sie servieren das Essen den Gästen.” — “They serve the food to the guests.”

Common mistakes with servieren in the present tense

1. Using the infinitive instead of the present

✗ Wrong: “Ich servieren das Essen den Gästen.”

✓ Right: “Ich serviere das Essen den Gästen.”

The infinitive never takes a subject; use the conjugated form serviere.

2. Mixing up the persons

✗ Wrong: “Du serviere das Essen den Gästen.”

✓ Right: “Du servierst das Essen den Gästen.”

After du you need servierst, not the ich form serviere. Each person has its own ending.

3. Using the future for a habit

✗ Wrong: “Ich werde das Essen den Gästen servieren.”

✓ Right: “Ich serviere das Essen den Gästen.”

A habit that happens every day takes the present (serviere), not the future.

4. Using the Präteritum for something happening now

✗ Wrong: “Ich servierte das Essen den Gästen.”

✓ Right: “Ich serviere das Essen den Gästen.”

Something happening right now takes the present (serviere), not the Präteritum.

Quiz: servieren in the present tense

  1. What is the ich form of servieren in the Present (Präsens)?

    • A) serviert
    • B) serviere
    • C) servieren
    • D) servierst

  2. What is the du form of servieren in the Present (Präsens)?

    • A) servieren
    • B) servierst
    • C) serviere
    • D) serviert

  3. What is the er/sie/es form of servieren in the Present (Präsens)?

    • A) servierst
    • B) serviert
    • C) serviere
    • D) servieren

  4. What is the wir form of servieren in the Present (Präsens)?

    • A) servieren
    • B) serviert
    • C) serviere
    • D) servierst

  5. What is the ihr form of servieren in the Present (Präsens)?

    • A) servieren
    • B) serviert
    • C) servierst
    • D) serviere

  6. What is the sie/Sie form of servieren in the Present (Präsens)?

    • A) serviere
    • B) servierst
    • C) serviert
    • D) servieren

  7. What is the past participle of servieren?

    • A) servierte
    • B) serviere
    • C) serviert
    • D) servierend

  8. Which auxiliary does servieren take in the Perfekt?

    • A) haben
    • B) werden
    • C) sein

Answer key

  1. B) serviere — the ich form of servieren in the present tense is serviere.
  2. B) servierst — the du form of servieren in the present tense is servierst.
  3. B) serviert — the er/sie/es form of servieren in the present tense is serviert.
  4. A) servieren — the wir form of servieren in the present tense is servieren.
  5. B) serviert — the ihr form of servieren in the present tense is serviert.
  6. D) servieren — the sie/Sie form of servieren in the present tense is servieren.
  7. C) serviert — the past participle of servieren is serviert; the Perfekt uses haben + serviert.
  8. A) haben — servieren takes haben in the Perfekt: habe serviert.

Frequently asked questions

How is the present tense of servieren formed?

From the stem plus the present endings: ich → serviere, du → servierst, er/sie/es → serviert, wir → servieren, ihr → serviert, sie/Sie → servieren. The German present tense guide explains the pattern for all verbs.

Is servieren regular in the present tense?

Yes — servieren is regular in the present tense: the forms follow the standard pattern. The full picture, including the irregular tenses if any, is on the full conjugation page.

What is the past participle of servieren?

The past participle is serviert. Use it with haben for the Perfekt, as in habe serviert, and with haben in the past for the Plusquamperfekt, as in hatte serviert.

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