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fluentbyear

FRENCH VERB

se servir

to use, to help oneself

  • #272 most used
  • Irregular -ir verb
  • Past participle: servi
  • Present participle: se servant

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

  1. je I use
  2. tu you use
  3. il, elle, on he/she uses
  4. nous we use
  5. vous you use
  6. ils, elles they use

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

  1. je I used
  2. tu you used
  3. il, elle, on he/she used
  4. nous we used
  5. vous you used
  6. ils, elles they used

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. je I used to use
  2. tu you used to use
  3. il, elle, on he/she used to use
  4. nous we used to use
  5. vous you used to use
  6. ils, elles they used to use

Future

Futur simple · plans; in speech, “je vais parler” is just as common

  1. je I will use
  2. tu you will use
  3. il, elle, on he/she will use
  4. nous we will use
  5. vous you will use
  6. ils, elles they will use

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

  1. je I would use
  2. tu you would use
  3. il, elle, on he/she would use
  4. nous we would use
  5. vous you would use
  6. ils, elles they would use

Present subjunctive

Subjonctif présent · wishes, doubts, “il faut que …”

  1. je (that) I use
  2. tu (that) you use
  3. il, elle, on (that) he/she use
  4. nous (that) we use
  5. vous (that) you use
  6. ils, elles (that) they use

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

  1. tu use!
  2. nous use! (let’s)
  3. vous use! (plural, or formal)

How to use se servir

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Je me sers de mon vélo pour aller au travail.

    I use my bike to go to work.

  2. Past

    Tu t'es servi de mon ordinateur sans me le dire ?

    Did you use my computer without telling me?

  3. Imperfect

    Ma grand-mère se servait encore d'une machine à écrire.

    My grandmother still used a typewriter.

  4. Future

    On se servira du GPS pour trouver la ferme.

    We'll use the GPS to find the farm.

  5. Conditional

    Je me servirais bien de ta voiture samedi.

    I'd like to use your car on Saturday.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Il faut que tu te serves de tes deux mains.

    You need to use both hands.

  7. Imperative

    Servez-vous, il y a du gâteau pour tout le monde.

    Help yourselves, there's cake for everyone.

Good to know

  • Se servir de quelque chose is to use it; se servir alone is to help yourself : servez-vous !

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: irregular -ir verb.