How to Say ‘It’s not working / It’s no good.’ in Japanese
だめです
dame desu
[dah-meh deh-soo]
💬 Usage Tip: [だめです] is a polite-ish way to say it doesn’t work. For very polite: [だめでした] (wasn’t working) or [使えません].
🇯🇵 In Japan: Service staff may mirror your level: if you use [です], they’ll usually respond politely too.
Phrase Breakdown
だめ
dame
[dah-meh]
not working; no good
Casual word だめ used in a more polite sentence with です. Common in conversation with building staff.
給湯器がだめです。
The water heater isn’t working.
です
desu
[deh-soo]
is (polite)
Polite copula. Makes the statement sound more polite than just だめ.
シャワーもだめです。
The shower doesn’t work either.
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