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How to Say ‘Isn't working’ in French

Ne marche pas

nuh marsh pah

[nuh marsh pah]

💬 Usage Tip: Marcher literally means to walk, but for machines it means to work. Swap in Ça ne marche pas "it doesn't work" for any broken device.

Phrase Breakdown

[nuh]

(negation) not

Negation particle used with another negative word (ne… rien). In speech, it can be dropped, but it’s standard in writing.

Example

Ne me raconte rien sur l’anime, je veux garder la surprise.

Don’t tell me anything about the anime, I want to keep the surprise.

marche

[marsh]

works

To function or operate as expected.

Example

L'appareil télécommande, ça marche souvent sans problème.

The remote control device often works without issues.

pas

[pah]

not

Used with 'ne' to form a negative.

Example

Je ne comprends pas.

I do not understand.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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