Introduction
Knowing what to say in Spanish when a machine is broken is a practical skill for travel, work, and daily life. This article gives clear phrases, vocabulary, and short dialogues to help English-speaking learners handle situations like broken elevators, printers, vending machines, and appliances. Learn polite ways to report problems, ask for help, and understand common responses.
- Essential vocabulary for machines and malfunctions
- Polite phrases to report a broken machine
- Explaining the problem: specific phrases
- Asking for help or repair
- Short dialogues for common situations
- Common responses and what they mean
- Reporting damage in public places: what to include
- Repair-related vocabulary and timelines
- Tips for communicating clearly and safely
- Regional variations and quick equivalents
- Putting it all together: a longer example
- Conclusion
Essential vocabulary for machines and malfunctions
Before learning phrases, it helps to know the key nouns and verbs. Use bold for the first appearance of each Spanish term, and italics later on.
máquina — machine
ordenador — computer (or computadora in some regions)
impresora — printer
ascensor — elevator
lavadora — washing machine
televisor — television
cajero automático — ATM
expendedor — vending machine
romper — to break (intransitive usually becomes estar roto for broken state)
funcionar — to work/function
avería — breakdown, fault
reparar — to repair
Usage note
Spanish commonly uses the verb construction estar + roto to say something is broken, as in está roto. For electronics, you may also hear no funciona to mean it does not work. Both are useful; choose está roto when something is physically broken and no funciona when it fails to operate.
Polite phrases to report a broken machine
When you need to tell staff or someone nearby about a broken machine, politeness helps. Start with a greeting and then describe the problem briefly.
Formal polite opener:
Disculpe, disculpa — excuse me
Example phrases:
Disculpe, disculpa, la máquina está rota — Excuse me, the machine is broken.
Perdón, la impresora no funciona — Sorry, the printer doesn’t work.
Perdón, hay una avería en el ascensor — Sorry, there is a breakdown in the elevator.
Politeness and formality
Use disculpe in formal situations or when speaking to staff. Use disculpa with friends or colleagues. Perdón is neutral and works in most casual contexts. Follow any opener with a clear description of what happened and where the machine is located.
Explaining the problem: specific phrases
Here are common ways to describe what is wrong. First appearance of key verbs are bolded.
No funciona — It does not work
Está roto — It is broken
No enciende — It won’t turn on
Se fue la luz — The power went out (useful for appliances)
Hace un ruido extraño — It makes a strange noise
Está atascado — It is jammed
Examples:
La lavadora no funciona — The washing machine does not work.
El cajero automático está atascado — The ATM is jammed.
El televisor no enciende — The TV won’t turn on.
La impresora hace un ruido extraño y no imprime — The printer makes a strange noise and won’t print.
Usage note
For temporary problems like a jam, use atascado. For permanent damage, use roto. To say an electronic device won’t start, use no enciende or no prende depending on region.
Asking for help or repair
When you need someone to fix the machine or call maintenance, use clear, direct requests. Here are useful verbs and constructions:
¿Puede(n) ayudarme? — Can you help me?
¿Puede(n) arreglarlo? — Can you fix it?
¿Puede(n) llamar a mantenimiento? — Can you call maintenance?
Necesito ayuda — I need help
Examples:
¿Puede ayudarme con la máquina? Está rota — Can you help me with the machine? It’s broken.
¿Puede llamar a mantenimiento, por favor? La impresora no funciona — Can you call maintenance, please? The printer doesn’t work.
Necesito ayuda, el ascensor está atascado con alguien dentro — I need help, the elevator is stuck with someone inside.
Usage note
When speaking to one person, use puede. For staff teams or multiple people, use pueden. Add por favor to be polite. If it is urgent, say es urgente or por favor, es urgente.
Short dialogues for common situations
Practice with short natural dialogues. Line breaks show each speaker. The bolded Spanish vocabulary appears first in context and later is italicized where repeated.
Situation: vending machine swallowed money
Persona A: Disculpe, la máquina expendedora se tragó mi dinero.
Empleado: ¿Cuánto puso?
Persona A: Cinco euros y no me dio el producto.
Empleado: Voy a informar a mantenimiento.
Situation: printer at office
Empleado 1: Perdone, la impresora no funciona desde esta mañana.
Recepción: ¿Está atascada o no enciende?
Empleado 1: Está atascada y hace un ruido raro.
Recepción: Llamo al servicio técnico.
Situation: broken elevator
Visitante: Disculpe, el ascensor está atascado en el tercer piso.
Portero: Gracias por avisar. Voy a llamar a emergencias.
Visitante: Por favor, hay una persona dentro.
Usage note
These dialogues show typical follow-up questions like ¿Cuánto puso? to ask how much money was inserted, or ¿Está atascada? to classify the issue. Listen for these in real interactions.
Common responses and what they mean
When you report a problem, staff might use standard responses. Recognizing them helps you know what to expect.
Lo siento — I’m sorry
Vamos a revisarlo — We’ll check it
Ya llamé a mantenimiento — I already called maintenance
Puede probar a reiniciar — You can try restarting it
Está fuera de servicio — It’s out of service
Examples and context:
Lo siento, vamos a revisarlo ahora mismo — Sorry, we’ll check it right now.
Puede probar a reiniciar la máquina — You can try restarting the machine.
Está fuera de servicio hasta que lo reparen — It’s out of service until it’s repaired.
Usage note
When someone says puede probar a reiniciar, they suggest a simple troubleshooting step. If staff says está fuera de servicio, plan for a longer wait or an alternative machine.
Reporting damage in public places: what to include
When calling or reporting a broken machine in a public place, give concise, useful details: location, type of machine, symptoms, and urgency.
Useful checklist to include in your report:
Exact location (floor, room, street corner)
Type of machine (use the bolded nouns above)
What is happening (no funciona, está atascado, hace ruido)
If someone is affected or trapped (es urgente, hay personas dentro)
Example report to security:
Hola, estoy en la planta baja junto a la entrada principal. El ascensor número dos está atascado en el tercer piso y hay una persona dentro. Por favor, envíen ayuda urgente.
Repair-related vocabulary and timelines
When dealing with repairs, you’ll hear terms about time and parts. First mentions are bolded.
Técnico — technician
Reparación — repair
Piezas de repuesto — spare parts
Garantía — warranty
Common timeline phrases:
En este momento — right now
En unos minutos — in a few minutes
Más tarde — later
En un par de días — in a couple days
Examples:
El técnico llegará en unos minutos — The technician will arrive in a few minutes.
La reparación puede tardar un par de horas si necesitamos piezas de repuesto — The repair may take a couple hours if we need spare parts.
Si está en garantía, lo cubre el fabricante — If it’s under warranty, the manufacturer covers it.
Usage note
For service timelines, ask ¿Cuánto tiempo tardará? to know how long it will take. If they say en unos minutos or más tarde, follow up for a precise estimate if needed.
Tips for communicating clearly and safely
Follow these practical tips when dealing with broken machines in Spanish-speaking environments.
Speak slowly and use simple vocabulary if you’re a beginner. Use bolded basic nouns like máquina, impresora, or ascensor to be clear.
Point to the machine and say the location to avoid confusion.
If the situation is urgent, say es urgente or hay una persona dentro immediately.
Carry a short written note with key phrases in Spanish on your phone to show staff if pronunciation is hard to understand.
Sample short note
Use this short note on your phone:
La máquina está rota. No funciona. Por favor, llame a mantenimiento. Es urgente si hay personas dentro.
Regional variations and quick equivalents
Spanish varies by country. Here are a few regional equivalents you might encounter.
Computer: ordenador in Spain, computadora or computador in Latin America.
Vending machine: expendedor or máquina expendedora or simply vending in some contexts.
To turn on: encender or prender — both mean to turn on but prender is more common in parts of Latin America.
Broken: roto vs dañado — both work, but dañado can imply more severe or lasting damage.
Usage note
When in doubt, use the neutral forms impresora, ascensor, and no funciona, which are widely understood across the Spanish-speaking world.
Putting it all together: a longer example
Here is a fuller interaction that demonstrates polite reporting, answering questions, and the expected response. Breaks separate speakers.
Persona: Disculpe, la impresora de la sala de reuniones no funciona.
Recepción: ¿Qué le ocurre exactamente?
Persona: Cuando intento imprimir, la página se queda en cola y la impresora hace un ruido raro. Creo que está atascada.
Recepción: Gracias por avisar. ¿Puede decirme el número de la impresora?
Persona: Es la impresora tres, al lado de la ventana.
Recepción: Perfecto. Llamo al técnico ahora y le avisamos cuando llegue.
Usage note
Notice the natural flow: greeting, clear description, additional detail, and a commitment to act. This pattern works in many service interactions.
Conclusion
Knowing what to say in Spanish when a machine is broken makes everyday life smoother and less stressful. Learn key nouns like máquina, impresora, and ascensor, use phrases like no funciona and está roto, and practice polite requests such as ¿Puede ayudarme?. With these phrases and tips, you will be ready to report problems, ask for repairs, and understand common responses confidently.
