Homework Help


*This section will allow only site approved tutors to post answers.
Please do not post any inappropriate material here . HTML will
not work with the exception of those who are approved as tutors.
   
    AnswerPool.com  Hop To Forum Categories  Homework Help  Hop To Forums  Foreign Languages - (non-English)    Serving God - D.O or I.O?

Moderators: Lydia
Go
Post
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
  Login/Join 
Platinum
Enthusiast
Picture of Sarai
Posted
In the sentence "The purpose of life is to serve God," is 'God' a direct object or an indirect object?

I'm writing an essay for my Spanish class about the beliefs of the Abrahamic religions, and I'm not sure whether, in this case, I whould write "La vida es para servir a Dios", "es para servirle a Dios" or "es para servir Dios." I'm using "servirle a Dios," with the reasoning that one is serving *for* God, not serving God in the same sense that one might serve chicken at dinner time. However, I did a search of all three possible ways of saying "to serve God" in Spanish on the internet and found that all three forms are used. Are they all correct, or is one preferred?

If it is an indirect object, why can't we say "The purpose of life is to serve to God" in English?
 
Posts: 2244 | Location: In between | Registered: 06-03-02Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Diamond
Enthusiast

Posted Hide Post
From 'The New Penguin English Dictionary':

'Serve' has 14 definitions listed. One is actually "to give due honour and obedience to (God)". If you say serve to God, it sounds like you're using definition '3', but mistakenly omitting an object - "to serve (beer) to God".

So, in English, in the phrase 'serve God', 'God' is the direct object, and in that context, 'serve' has a particular meaning.
 
Posts: 8137 | Location: Canada | Registered: 06-03-02Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Diamond
Enthusiast

Posted Hide Post
In Spanish the thing receiving the service is always the indirect object. Le sirvo a Dios. The direct object is implicit. If God came to Thanksgiving dinner, for example, You'd say Le sirvo pavo a Dios.
 
Posts: 7709 | Location: On Vacation | Registered: 06-06-02Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
 Previous Topic | Next Topic powered by eve community  
 

    AnswerPool.com  Hop To Forum Categories  Homework Help  Hop To Forums  Foreign Languages - (non-English)    Serving God - D.O or I.O?

© 2002-2008 AnswerPool.com

If you wish to be a tutor, please send your full name, screenname, full address, daytime phone number and a description of your experiences or qualifications that you feel would be useful in your performance as a tutor, to KingKrimson@AnswerPool.com. The information will not be distributed for any marketing or advertising reasons, and will be kept for release only to the proper law enforcement agencies, in the event that such action is required. Thank you.