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How to Say ‘My card machine isn't working today’ in French

Mon terminal ne marche pas aujourd'hui

mohn tair-mee-NAHL nuh marsh pah oh-zhoor-dwee

[mohn tair-mee-NAHL nuh marsh pah oh-zhoor-dwee]

🇫🇷 In France: Taxis in France are legally required to accept cards, so a 'broken' machine is a common way of pushing for cash. Calmly mentioning the rule usually settles it.

Phrase Breakdown

Mon terminal

mohn tair-mee-NAHL

My card machine

'Mon' has a nasal vowel. Don't pronounce the 'n' separately.

Example

Mon terminal est neuf.

My card machine is new.

Words in this phrase

Mon

[mohn]

Possessive adjective, first person singular.

Example

Mon livre est ici.

My book is here.

terminal

[tair-mee-NAHL]

card terminal

The payment machine used to pay by card.

Example

Le terminal accepte le sans contact.

The terminal accepts contactless.

ne marche pas aujourd'hui

nuh marsh pah oh-zhoor-dwee

isn't working today

The negation 'ne… pas' surrounds the verb. 'Aujourd'hui' sounds like 'oh-zhoor-DWEE'.

Example

Le métro ne marche pas aujourd'hui.

The metro isn't running today.

Words in this phrase

[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.

aujourd'hui

[oh-zhoor-dwee]

Today

The present day, the day when an action takes place.

Example

Aujourd'hui, le distributeur sera réparé.

Today, the ATM will be repaired.

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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