Nov 6, 2019 04:17
4 yrs ago
Italian term

servire

Italian to English Other Certificates, Diplomas, Licenses, CVs birth certificate
After the words "Si rilascia per uso" towards the end of a Birth Certificate, in handwriting the document has "se servire all'Estero". I have a problem translating this mostly because I don't understand the grammar. Is "se servire all'Estero" a set phrase, or is it the writer's shorthand for "if it is needed overseas". Could someone please illuminate me and suggest a better translation than the above. I mean, does this expression imply that this documente is only for use overseas?

Thanks so much
Isobel
Proposed translations (English)
5 recognised abroad
5 +3 to be used for
Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:

Non-PRO (1): Lara Barnett

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Discussion

Sara Bucciarelli Nov 6, 2019:
Isobel, are you sure the handwriting says exactly "se servire"? I'm a native Italian translator and I can assure you it's absolutely gramatically incorrect! I could try to decipher the meaning based on the context and the meaning of the verb per sé, I think it means it CAN be used abroad or even that it COULD be used under certain conditions.
philgoddard Nov 6, 2019:
Could it be "Si servirà"?

Proposed translations

5 hrs
Selected

recognised abroad

In my opinion, the document is not issued specifically to be used abroad (there's no such thing for Italian birth certificates), it simply MAY used aborad under certain circumstances. The expression in English with the most occurrences for a document is "recognised aborad"; it implies the document is legally issued by country A and its authenticity is recognised abroad.
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks for your comments, Sara. I have adopted your suggested term "recognised", and agree that context rules here (not grammar). The grammar continues to baffle me. I appreciate all the help of everyone else who contributed. kind regards Isobel"
+3
33 mins

to be used for

Servire is a little tricky to translate as it has lots of meanings in English. Apart from the obvious "to serve" is can also mean "to be used for", "to be needed" or "to make use of".
Example sentence:

This document is permitted for use overseas.

This way of life does not serve me anymore.

Peer comment(s):

agree Cedric Randolph
3 mins
agree Lara Barnett
1 hr
neutral philgoddard : But why "se servire"?
2 hrs
agree Fiona Grace Peterson
3 hrs
disagree Sara Bucciarelli : Anch'io sono perplessa riguardo all'espressione "se servire"
5 hrs
agree martini
10 hrs
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