🚿🔥💧⚙️❌

How to Say ‘The hot water isn't working.’ in Italian

L'acqua calda non funziona.

l AHK-kwah KAHL-dah nohn foon-TSYOH-nah

[l AHK-kwah KAHL-dah nohn foon-TSYOH-nah]

💬 Usage Tip: non funziona works for anything broken. Just swap the thing at the front: Il riscaldamento "the heating" non funziona.

Phrase Breakdown

L'acqua calda

l AHK-kwah KAHL-dah

The hot water

This is the subject of the sentence. Say LAC-qua CAL-da as one unit.

Example

L'acqua calda è pronta.

The hot water is ready.

Words in this phrase

[l]

the

Elided article used before a vowel sound; part of 'l'evento' = 'the event'.

Example

Dopo l' incontro, ho preso qualche appunto.

After the meeting, I took some notes.

acqua

[AHK-kwah]

water

The basic drink; feminine noun.

Example

L'acqua è fresca.

The water is cold.

calda

[KAHL-dah]

hot

Feminine form of 'caldo', agreeing with a feminine noun.

Example

Vorrei una tisana calda.

I'd like a hot herbal tea.

non funziona.

nohn foon-TSYOH-nah

isn't working.

'Funzionare' means to work or function. Say fun-TSYO-na.

Example

Il telefono non funziona.

The phone isn't working.

Words in this phrase

non

[nohn]

not

This word negates the verb that follows it.

Example

Non c'é nessuno.

There is no one.

funziona

[foon-TSYOH-nah]

works, functions

Third person of 'funzionare': how something operates.

Example

La macchinetta non funziona.

The machine doesn't work.

Guides for Italian learners

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