HOW TO USE THE VERB SERVIRE 

First, let’s focus on the meaning and use of  servire and how it differs from the other verbs  expressing need, like dovere or avere bisogno.

Servire means to need something. You ought to use servire with a noun (a thing or a person) and never a verb (an action). When using servire, you imply that something is necessary or useful.

For example,

• Mi servono quattro uova per fare la torta di mele – I need for eggs to make the apple pie
• Ti serve il mio aiuto? –  Do you need my help?

 

Is “SERVIRE” any different from “AVERE BISOGNO?”

This is the 1 million dollar question. Yes and no. Italians tend to prefer the use of servire over avere bisogno di. Avere bisogno is used  more to emphasize the need of something. By using avere bisogno di you are pointing out that you really need that thing (e.g. ho bisogno di una vacanza al più presto!)

 

How to conjugate SERVIRE

As you might already have noticed, servire (and a few other verbs that I will list at the end of this post) does not follow a regular conjugation, and it’s used differently from its equivalent in English – I need. 

Servire is conjugated with indirect pronouns and works similarly to the verb piacere.

The Italian translation for I need (something), is NOT io servo, but mi serve or mi servono. 

Mi serve actually means is it is necessary for me.

Servire is always conjugated just with the 3rd person plural and singular. The person who needs something is denoted with an indirect object pronoun (mi, ti, gli/le, ci, vi, gli) and not with the regular subject pronouns (io, tu, lui, etc..)

What is the difference between serve and servono?

Serve is used when the thing we need is a singular entity

• Mi serve una penna rossa  – I need a red pen 
• Ti serve questo documento? – do you need this file? 
• Ci servono questi documenti  – we need these files 

Servono is used when the things or people need is a plural entity

• Mi servono dei fazzoletti – I need some tissues
• Non mi servono quei libri – I don’t need these books 

Let’s recap…

When you say mi serve in Italian, what you say in English is “something” is needed for me/to you/to him, etc.…

• Mi serve / mi servono – I need → it’s necessary for me 
• Ti serve / ti servono – you need → it’s necessary for you, etc..

So, mi serve del pane actually means some bread is necessary for me. 

 

Why do we say “A MARIA SERVE…?” 

When the person who needs something is denoted by a noun (and not by a pronoun), the noun must be preceded by the preposition a:

• A Maria serve un tappetino da yoga – Maria needs a yoga mat  
• A Lucia non sono serviti quei documenti alla fine – Lucy didn’t need those files eventually

 

Servire in the passato prossimo

Like in the present tense, servire takes a different conjugation with the passato prossimo (and the other verbs). 

The Italian for I needed is mi è servito/a or mi sono serviti/e

As you can see from the list, the past tense combines three elements:

the corresponded indirect pronouns + the auxiliary essere + the past participle of servire (servito/a/i/e)

• Mi sono serviti due giorni interni per completare questo lavoro – I needed to entire days to finish this work 

The auxiliary and the past participles always agree in terms of gender and number with the thing that is being needed. So, if the entity being liked is a feminine noun, you will need to make sure that the participle makes the correct agreement with the subject, for example:

• Ti è servito il consiglio? – Was my advice useful to you? [did you need my advice? lit.] 
• Ti sono serviti i miei consigli? → Were my tips useful to you? [did you need my tips? lit.] 

 

Servire in the PRESENT PERFECT (passato prossimo)

• mi è servito/a – mi sono serviti/e 
• ti è servito/a – ti sono serviti/e 
• gli-le è servito/a – gli-le sono serviti/e 
• ci è servito/a – ci sono serviti/e 
• vi è servito/a – vi sono serviti/e 
• gli è servito/a – gli sono serviti/e 

 

Servire in the IMPERFECT

• mi serviva / mi servivano 
• ti serviva / ti servivano
• gli-le serviva / gli-le servivano
• ci serviva / ci servivano
• vi serviva / vi servivano
• gli serviva / gli servivano

 

Servire in the FUTURE SIMPLE

• mi servirà / mi serviranno 
• ti servirà / ti serviranno 
• gli-le servirà / gli-le serviranno 
• ci servirà / ci serviranno 
• vi servirà / vi serviranno 
• gli servirà / gli serviranno 

 

Servire in the PRESENT CONDITIONAL

• mi servirebbe / mi servirebbero 
• ti servirebbe / ti servirebbero 
• gli-le servirebbe / gli-le servirebbero 
• ci servirebbe / ci servirebbero 
• vi servirebbe / vi servirebbero 
• gli servirebbe / gli servirebbero 

 

Servire in the PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE

• mi serva / mi servano
• ti serva / ti servano
• gli-le serva / gli-le servano
• ci serva / ci servano
• vi serva / vi servano
• gli serva / gli servano

 

Other verbs working similarly to SERVIRE

Severe is not the only verb using a different conjugation (also known as impersonal conjugation). There are several verbs used in conversational Italian working just like servire. For example, the very common verb piacere, but also mancare (to miss) , interessare (to be interested in), bastare (to be enough), succedere (to happen), sembrare (to seem), infastidire (to bother), rattristare (to sadden), innervosire (to make nervous).