Serve in different languages

Serve in Different Languages

Discover 'Serve' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'serve' holds great significance in many cultures and languages around the world. Derived from the Old French 'servir' meaning 'to be a slave or servant,' the term has evolved to encompass a wide range of meanings, from providing food and drink to performing a useful function. In English, 'serve' can also mean to be of use or assistance, to officially act in a position or capacity, or to participate in a tennis game!

Throughout history, the act of serving has been a cornerstone of human interaction, from the ancient practice of hosting feasts to the modern-day custom of tipping in restaurants. Moreover, the concept of service is deeply ingrained in many religious and philosophical traditions, which emphasize the importance of selflessness, compassion, and contributing to the greater good.

Given the cultural importance of the word 'serve,' it's no wonder that many languages have their own unique translations for the term. Whether you're traveling abroad, studying a foreign language, or simply expanding your cultural horizons, understanding the different meanings and connotations of 'serve' in various languages can be a fascinating and rewarding endeavor.

Here are some translations of 'serve' in different languages to get you started:

Serve


Serve in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansbedien
The etymology of the Afrikaans word "bedien" is uncertain, and it may be a loanword from the Dutch word "bedelen" or the French word "besogner".
Amharicማገልገል
The Amharic word 'ማገልገል' also means 'to work for' or 'to be employed by'.
Hausabauta
The word "bauta" in Hausa also means "to accompany" or "to follow".
Igbojee ozi
Also referred to as "ije ozi"
Malagasyhanompo
The word 'hanompo' also has the alternate meaning of 'to please' or 'to satisfy'.
Nyanja (Chichewa)kutumikira
"Kutuma" in Nyanja also means "to send" or "to transmit".
Shonakushandira
The word "kushandira" can also refer to "assisting" or "working for" someone.
Somaliu adeegid
adeegid is also the Somali word for “service” or “service as a government”
Sesothosebeletsa
"Sebeletsa" in Sesotho also means "to work" or "to help" someone.
Swahilitumikia
The word "tumikia" can also mean "to worship" in Swahili.
Xhosakhonza
The word "khonza" in Xhosa can also mean "to work for someone" or "to be a servant."
Yorubasin
The Yoruba word 'sin' (serve) can also refer to 'worship', 'obey', or 'bow down'.
Zulukhonza
The word 'khonza' is also used as a form of greeting in Zulu, meaning 'good day'.
Bambaraka sɔn
Ewesubɔ
Kinyarwandagukorera
Lingalakosalela
Lugandaokuweereza
Sepedisolela
Twi (Akan)som

Serve in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicتخدم
The word "تخدم" also means "to obey" or "to submit".
Hebrewלְשָׁרֵת
לְשָׁרֵת (lasharet) is also used to refer to the act of taking care of someone's needs, both physical and emotional.
Pashtoخدمت کول
The word "خدمت کول" in Pashto can also mean "to obey" or "to respect".
Arabicتخدم
The word "تخدم" also means "to obey" or "to submit".

Serve in Western European Languages

Albanianshërbej
The word "shërbej" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱer-, meaning "to do, make, or perform."
Basquezerbitzatu
The word "zerbitzatu" in Basque is derived from the Latin word "servitium", which means "service" or "slavery".
Catalanservir
The Catalan word "servir" comes from the Latin word "servire", which also means "to obey". In modern Catalan, "servir" is commonly used to describe actions such as "to provide a service", "to help", or "to submit to authority".
Croatianposlužiti
The verb "poslužiti" in Croatian can also mean to help oneself to something, even without asking for permission.
Danishtjene
The word "tjene" in Danish is derived from the Old Norse word "þjóna," which means "to follow" or "to be subordinate to."
Dutchdienen
The word "dienen" in Dutch shares the same Germanic root as the word "thegn" in Old English, both meaning "servant" or "attendant."
Englishserve
The word 'serve' is derived from the Latin word 'servire', meaning 'to be a slave'.
Frenchservir
The French word "servir" also derives from a word meaning "conserve" which has also yielded words denoting a waiter (serveur, serveuse)
Frisiantsjinje
Tsjinje can also mean "to help" or "to take care of" in Frisian.
Galicianservir
In Galician, the word "servir" can also mean "to attend" or "to wait on".
Germandienen
While the original meaning of "Dienen" was "to work on someone's behalf," its contemporary and most common usage is "to cater to someone's needs."
Icelandicþjóna
The word "þjóna" is also used in Icelandic to refer to a female servant, maid, or waitress.
Irishfónamh
The Irish word "fónamh" also means "to wait upon someone or something."
Italianservire
The verb "servire" in Italian ultimately derives from the Latin "servus," which meant either "servant" or "slave."
Luxembourgishzerwéieren
The word "zerwéieren" also refers to the act of serving food, or to the role of a servant.
Malteseiservi
The Maltese word "iservi" is cognate with the Italian word "servire" and the French word "servir".
Norwegiantjene
Although the word "tjene" means "to serve" in Norwegian, its root meaning is actually "to wash".
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)servir
"Servir" is also used in the sense of setting the table, laying out the tablecloth, plates, and cutlery for meals.
Scots Gaelicfrithealadh
The word 'frithealadh' in Scots Gaelic can also mean 'to perform', 'to fulfill', or 'to obey'.
Spanishservir
"Servir" comes from the Latin "servire," meaning "to serve" but can also mean "to attend to," "to assist," or "to comply with."
Swedishtjäna
The word 'tjäna' is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *teḱ- 'to create, to produce', which is also the origin of the English word 'thank'.
Welshgwasanaethu
The Welsh word "gwasanaethu" derives from the Old Welsh "guassanaeth", meaning "service" or "attendance".

Serve in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianпадаваць
In Belarusian, the word "падаваць" can also mean "to file" or "to apply".
Bosnianslužiti
The word "služiti" can also mean "to work" or "to be employed" in Bosnian.
Bulgarianсервирайте
The root of the word "сервирайте" is Latin "servire," meaning "to be a slave" or "to serve."
Czechsloužit
The term 'sloužit' has ancient judicial roots meaning 'to appear in court for trial'.
Estonianserveerima
In Estonian, the word 'serveerima' can also mean to present or offer something.
Finnishpalvella
"Palvella" literally means 'to burn'. It's related to the words 'palo' ('fire'), 'palava' ('burning') and 'paloa' ('to burn').
Hungarianszolgál
The verbs ‘szolgál’ and ‘szolga’ are derived from the Slavic word *slug- ‘servant’.
Latviankalpot
Kalpot is also used to describe the act of performing a service for someone, such as fetching them a drink or doing them a favor.
Lithuaniantarnauti
The word "tarnauti" in Lithuanian comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ter-," meaning "to cross over, pass through, overcome."
Macedonianслужат
The word "служат" can also refer to "minister" or "service" in a religious context.
Polishsłużyć
The word "służyć" also means "to be useful" or "to be of service" in Polish.
Romanianservi
The Romanian word "servi" is derived from the Latin word "servire", meaning "to serve" or "to attend to."
Russianобслуживать
The word обслуживать has a root that means 'circle,' and so implies serving many people or things at once.
Serbianслужити
The word "служити" can also mean "to function" or "to be of use"
Slovakslúžiť
"Slúžiť" also means to officiate as a priest.
Slovenianslužijo
"Služijo" comes from the root "sluziti", meaning "to worship" or "to wait upon". In Old Church Slavonic, "sluga" (literally "servant") meant "a member of the clergy".
Ukrainianподавати
In Ukrainian, "подавати" also means "to give", "to present", and "to file".

Serve in South Asian Languages

Bengaliপরিবেশন
"পরিবেশন" (poribeshon) is derived from the Sanskrit word "परिवेषण" (pariveshana) meaning "surrounding" or "presenting".
Gujaratiસેવા આપે છે
Hindiसेवा कर
The word 'सेवा कर' ('serve') in Hindi is derived from the Sanskrit word 'सेवा' ('service'), which also means 'worship' or 'devotion'.
Kannadaಸೇವೆ
The word "ಸೇವೆ" comes from the Sanskrit word "सेवा" (sevā), which also means service.
Malayalamസേവിക്കുക
സേവിക്കുക also means 'worship' or 'pray'. It originated from the Tamil word 'sevvai' ('red') referring to the color of the blood of the sacrifices offered to deities.
Marathiसर्व्ह करावे
The word "सर्व्ह करावे" (sarva karaave) also means "to submit" or "to offer" in Marathi.
Nepaliसेवा
The word 'सेवा' is derived from the Sanskrit root 'Sev', meaning 'to follow' or 'to attend to', and can refer to both acts of personal assistance and religious devotion.
Punjabiਸੇਵਾ
The word "ਸੇਵਾ" (sevaa) in Punjabi also has the connotation of "selfless service", emphasizing the act of providing aid without expecting anything in return.
Sinhala (Sinhalese)සේවය
සේවය (sēvaya) comes from the Sanskrit word 'sevā,' which means service or labor, and it can also refer to duties or tasks undertaken for the benefit of others.
Tamilசேவை
In Tamil, the word "சேவை" can also refer to a "religious service" or "worship".
Teluguఅందజేయడం
It also means "to supply what is needed, to meet the requirements of".
Urduخدمت
The word "خدمت" in Urdu may also refer to "service" or "attendance".

Serve in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)服务
"服务" (serve) derives from the Buddhist concept of "bodhisattva," meaning enlightenment beings who vow to assist others before achieving Buddhahood.
Chinese (Traditional)服務
"服務" can also mean "service industry" in Chinese.
Japaneseサーブ
The word "serve" in Japanese, "サーブ", can also mean "service" in the context of tennis or volleyball.
Korean서브
서브(serve)는 영어에서 온 말로, 원래는 테니스에서 공을 치는 것을 의미했습니다.
Mongolianүйлчлэх
"Үйлчлэх" (serve) originates from "үй" (house) and "члэх" (to do something to someone) and means "to do something for someone in your house".
Myanmar (Burmese)အစေခံ
The term "အစေခံ" is also used in a legal context to refer to servitude or forced labor.

Serve in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianmenyajikan
"Menyajikan" also means "to contribute" or "to offer".
Javanesengawula
The verb "ngawula" also means "to worship" in Old Javanese.
Khmerបម្រើ
បម្រើ also means "work for someone as a servant; be an employee of" in Khmer.
Laoຮັບໃຊ້
Malayhidang
The term hidang is also used in Malay to refer to a type of dining table or food display.
Thaiให้บริการ
"ให้บริการ" is also a Thai honorific phrase referring to the provision of services by a superior to an inferior.
Vietnamesegiao banh
The word "giao banh" also means "to hand over".
Filipino (Tagalog)maglingkod

Serve in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijanixidmət etmək
The verb "xidmət etmək" (or "khidmət etmək") has many meanings such as "to work with diligence and honesty" and "to be attentive to someone as a servant"
Kazakhқызмет ету
The word "қызмет ету" (serve) in Kazakh also means "to work" or "to occupy a position of service."
Kyrgyzкызмат кылуу
The word "кызмат кылуу" can also mean "to work" or "to be employed" in Kyrgyz.
Tajikхизмат кардан
The Tajik word "хизмат кардан" also means "to help" in Uzbek, and "to help" and "to do favor" in Pashto.
Turkmenhyzmat et
Uzbekxizmat qilish
In Uzbek, "xizmat" originates from the Persian "khidmat" and can also refer to "office" or "department".
Uyghurمۇلازىمەت قىلىڭ

Serve in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianlawelawe
The word 'lawelawe' in Hawaiian can also mean 'to worship' or 'to revere' in a religious context.
Maorimahi
Derived from the Proto-Polynesian word *mafi*, meaning 'be appropriate' or 'be right', 'mahi' also conveys the sense of 'to provide' or 'to prepare'.
Samoantautua
The Samoan word "tautua" can also mean "to assist" or "to help out".
Tagalog (Filipino)maglingkod
In Tagalog, the word "maglingkod" can mean either "to serve" or "to guard"

Serve in American Indigenous Languages

Aymaraluqtaña
Guaraniñangareko

Serve in International Languages

Esperantoservi
"Serva" in Esperanto also translates as "handmaid", "girl servant" and "maidservant".
Latinserve
In Latin, "serve" also means "to preserve" or "to keep safe".

Serve in Others Languages

Greekσερβίρισμα
"Σερβίρισμα" is a Greek word that also means "a portion of food or drink".
Hmongpab
The word "pab" can also mean "to carry" or "to bring".
Kurdishsûxrekirin
The word "sûxrekirin" has an alternate meaning of "to drag" in Kurdish.
Turkishservis
Servis, a Turkish word, also refers to the act of distributing goods, especially newspapers or mail.
Xhosakhonza
The word "khonza" in Xhosa can also mean "to work for someone" or "to be a servant."
Yiddishדינען
The Yiddish word "דינען" can also have the meaning of "to work for" or "to be employed by."
Zulukhonza
The word 'khonza' is also used as a form of greeting in Zulu, meaning 'good day'.
Assameseসেৱা কৰা
Aymaraluqtaña
Bhojpuriचाकरी कईल
Dhivehiޚިދުމަތްކުރުން
Dogriसेवा करना
Filipino (Tagalog)maglingkod
Guaraniñangareko
Ilocanoagserbi
Kriosav
Kurdish (Sorani)خزمەتکردن
Maithiliसेवा
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯁꯦꯕꯥ ꯇꯧꯕ
Mizorawngbawlsak
Oromotajaajiluu
Odia (Oriya)ସେବା କର |
Quechuaaypuy
Sanskritसेवते
Tatarхезмәт ит
Tigrinyaኣገልገለ
Tsongatirhela

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