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RUSSIAN VERB

служить

to serve

  • #382 most used
  • Imperfective verb

Conjugation

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

Present

Настоящее время · now and habits: imperfective verbs only

  1. я I serve
  2. ты you serve
  3. он, она, оно he/she serves
  4. мы we serve
  5. вы you all serve
  6. они they serve

Past

Прошедшее время · by gender and number: он говорил, она говорила

  1. он he served
  2. она she served
  3. оно it served
  4. они they served

Future

Будущее время · “буду” and the infinitive for an imperfective verb; a perfective verb conjugates by itself

  1. я I will serve
  2. ты you will serve
  3. он, она, оно he/she will serve
  4. мы we will serve
  5. вы you all will serve
  6. они they will serve

Conditional

Условное наклонение · “would”: the past and “бы”

  1. он he would serve
  2. она she would serve
  3. оно it would serve
  4. они they would serve

Imperative

Повелительное наклонение · requests and orders: ты, вы

  1. ты serve!
  2. вы serve! (formal, or all of you)

How to use служить

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

  1. Present

    Мой дядя служит в полиции уже двадцать лет.

    My uncle has served in the police for twenty years now.

  2. Past

    Дедушка Кати служил на флоте три года.

    Katya's grandfather served in the navy for three years.

  3. Future

    Эта куртка будет служить тебе долго, поверь.

    This jacket will serve you a long time, believe me.

  4. Conditional

    Я бы служил музыке всю жизнь, если честно.

    I'd serve music my whole life, to be honest.

  5. Imperative

    Служи честно, и люди это оценят.

    Serve honestly, and people will appreciate it.

Good to know

  • Служить в армии is to do military service; служить кому-то, чему-то takes the dative: служить людям. A thing that lasts also служит: это пальто служит мне десять лет.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: imperfective verb.