how to say “to serve” in Hebrew
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לְהַגִּישׁ, לְשָׁרֵת
As often happens when crossing linguistic boundaries, the single English verb to serve has several translations in Hebrew, corresponding to several different meanings of the word in English.
להגיש
There’s to serve as in to give something to someone else, such as a meal – לְהַגִּישׁ אֲרוּחָהhis in Hebrew is לְהַגִּישׁ, an active-causative verb of the root נ.ג.שׁ (n.g.sh) meaning approaching (discussed here).
his in Hebrew is לְהַגִּישׁ, an active-causative verb of the root נ.ג.שׁ (n.g.sh) meaning approaching (discussed here).להגיש can also mean to submit something, as in:
הִגַּשְׁתִּי מָעֳמָדוּת לַתַּפְקִיד.
I applied (submitted candidacy) for the position.
The act of serving, in this case, is הַגָּשָׁה.
.
לשרת
And then there’s to serve as in to serve a person or enterprise. This is לְשָׁרֵת, an active-intensive verb of the root שׁ.ר.ת (sh.r.t). The abstract noun of לשרת is שֵׁרוּת service, as in שֵׁרוּת לָקוֹחוֹת – customer service and שירות צְבָאִי– military service.
, an active-intensive verb of the root שׁ.ר.ת (sh.r.t). The abstract noun of לשרת is שֵׁרוּת service, as in שֵׁרוּת לָקוֹחוֹת – customer service and שירות צְבָאִי– military service.An example of לשרת:
הִיא שֵׁרְתָה שְׁנָתַיִם בְּחֵיל הַיָּם.
She served (for) two years in the navy.
There’s also לְשַׁמֵּשׁ– to serve a purpose, and לְרַצּוֹת– to serve time, such as in prison.
– to serve a purpose, and לְרַצּוֹת– to serve time, such as in prison.
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