Service

/ˈsɜːrvɪs/

'Service' covers a surprisingly wide range of meanings in English: commercial offerings, vehicle maintenance, religious gatherings, and tennis strokes all share the same word. The right German equivalent depends entirely on which sense is meant.

1. Dienstleistung · business

Used for economic or commercial offerings, what a company provides to its customers. The anglicism 'Service' (der Service) is equally common in everyday German business and hospitality language.

Cloud services have fundamentally changed how companies store and share data.
Cloud-Dienstleistungen haben die Art, wie Unternehmen Daten speichern und teilen, grundlegend verändert.
The hotel is renowned for its impeccable service.
Das Hotel ist für seinen tadellosen Service bekannt.
We offer a full range of consulting services to small businesses.
Wir bieten kleinen Unternehmen ein vollständiges Spektrum an Beratungsdienstleistungen.

2. Wartung · technical

Used for the scheduled maintenance of a vehicle, machine, or technical system. In informal contexts, 'Service' is also understood in German workshops.

The car is overdue for its annual service.
Das Auto ist längst überfällig für seine jährliche Wartung.
Regular service significantly extends the lifespan of your heating system.
Regelmäßige Wartung verlängert die Lebensdauer Ihrer Heizungsanlage erheblich.

3. Gottesdienst · religious

Used specifically for a religious ceremony or church gathering.

The service lasted just over an hour and included three hymns.
Der Gottesdienst dauerte etwas mehr als eine Stunde und umfasste drei Kirchenlieder.
A memorial service was held at the town church on Saturday morning.
Am Samstagvormittag fand in der Stadtkirche ein Gedenkgottesdienst statt.

4. Aufschlag · sports / tennis

In tennis: the stroke that opens each point. Outside tennis, 'Aufschlag' is not used for 'service'.

His second service is just as dangerous as his first.
Sein zweiter Aufschlag ist genauso gefährlich wie sein erster.
She was broken twice and lost her service in the deciding set.
Sie wurde zweimal gebreakt und verlor ihren Aufschlag im entscheidenden Satz.

Notes

The anglicism 'Service' (der Service) has taken such a firm hold in German hospitality and business that it often replaces 'Dienstleistung' in everyday speech. In formal economic or legal writing, 'Dienstleistung' remains the standard. Compound concepts need their own translations: 'military service' → Militärdienst / Wehrdienst; 'national service' → Zivildienst (civilian) or Wehrdienst (military); 'public service' → öffentlicher Dienst.

Synonyms

assistance help support provision supply

Related phrases

customer service self-service public service military service service provider service industry after-sales service