# English idiom -\> Mexican Spanish equivalent **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 3, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-idiom-mexican-spanish-equivalent/714115 "2015-03-03T18:50:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-idiom-mexican-spanish-equivalent/714115/21 "2015-03-04T16:19:42Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > That translates as “I don’t work it”. I think you mean “_No trabajas_”. That means “YOU don’t work”, what you are triying to say is “no funciona” = “it doesn’t work”. (Literally “It does not function” but “No trabaja” would sound weird.) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-idiom-mexican-spanish-equivalent/714115/22 "2015-03-04T17:25:38Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > That means “YOU don’t work”, what you are triying to say is “no funciona” = “it doesn’t work”. (Literally “It does not function” but “No trabaja” would sound weird.) :smack: I had _trabaja_ and changed it to _trabajas_, like an idiot. But yeah, I don’t think it sounds right, either, but was trying to correct the conjugation and delete the confusing pronoun. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-idiom-mexican-spanish-equivalent/714115/23 "2015-03-04T18:12:46Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > That means “YOU don’t work”, what you are triying to say is “no funciona” = “it doesn’t work”. (Literally “It does not function” but “No trabaja” would sound weird.) I’ve seen _NO FUNCIONA_ on signs in Spain, and that’s the wording I would have suggested. [Example](http://www.photographersdirect.com/buyers/stockphoto.asp?imageid=1292708). Maybe that would look odd in Mexico, though. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-idiom-mexican-spanish-equivalent/714115/24 "2015-03-04T20:17:26Z")
> [@bump](#): > > “No lo trabajo” might get the idea across as well. Only if you’re not a Spanish speaker.😉 English speakers try to translate “work” in the sense of a machine working directly by using _trabajar_, but as **Frodo** says, that doesn’t work. Spanish speakers would use _funcionar_ instead. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-idiom-mexican-spanish-equivalent/714115/25 "2015-03-04T20:19:56Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > I’ve seen _NO FUNCIONA_ on signs in Spain, and that’s the wording I would have suggested. [Example](http://www.photographersdirect.com/buyers/stockphoto.asp?imageid=1292708). Maybe that would look odd in Mexico, though. I think that would be OK anywhere, although _fuera de servicio_ would be more common. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-idiom-mexican-spanish-equivalent/714115/26 "2015-03-04T23:06:16Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Only if you’re not a Spanish speaker.😉 > > English speakers try to translate “work” in the sense of a machine working directly by using _trabajar_, but as **Frodo** says, that doesn’t work. Spanish speakers would use _funcionar_ instead. Similar to the way we say “hot” in English to describe both temperature and the spiciness of our food. But Spanish distinguishes between the two: _caliente_ (high temperature) and _picante_ (spicy). ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2015, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-idiom-mexican-spanish-equivalent/714115/27 "2015-03-05T01:09:34Z")
What motivates people to post their speculations about how to say things in Spanish when they don’t speak that language? It’s not like it’s about an obscure Polynesian accent that you might be able to take a stab at and if you don’t, the question will remain forever unanswered. It’s Spanish, tons of people speak it, no one needs your guesswork. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2015, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-idiom-mexican-spanish-equivalent/714115/28 "2015-03-05T01:47:04Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > What motivates people to post their speculations about how to say things in Spanish when they don’t speak that language? It’s not like it’s about an obscure Polynesian accent that you might be able to take a stab at and if you don’t, the question will remain forever unanswered. It’s Spanish, tons of people speak it, no one needs your guesswork. You must be new around here. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2015, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-idiom-mexican-spanish-equivalent/714115/29 "2015-03-05T02:11:35Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > What motivates people to post their speculations about how to say things in Spanish when they don’t speak that language? It’s not like it’s about an obscure Polynesian accent that you might be able to take a stab at and if you don’t, the question will remain forever unanswered. It’s Spanish, tons of people speak it, no one needs your guesswork. Right. I have been to Mexico on vacation before. The correct answer is ‘No worko’. In Chinese, it is ‘Work_ee na_’. Translations are hard because not everyone is multilingual like us. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2015, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-idiom-mexican-spanish-equivalent/714115/30 "2015-03-05T03:21:36Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > What motivates people to post their speculations about how to say things in Spanish when they don’t speak that language? It’s not like it’s about an obscure Polynesian accent that you might be able to take a stab at and if you don’t, the question will remain forever unanswered. It’s Spanish, tons of people speak it, no one needs your guesswork. Spanish is probably the worst language around here for people making uneducated guesses. Everybody who took a year of Spanish in high school 20 years ago wants to take a crack at it. I have 25 years experience living in a Spanish speaking country but am not a native speaker. When I have any doubt about a translation I’ll generally wait until one of our many native speakers has a crack at it. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2015, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-idiom-mexican-spanish-equivalent/714115/31 "2015-03-05T05:53:24Z")
_Fuera de servicio_ works. > [@tapu](#): > > Better (I think): NO SIRVE. No. That would mean it’s useless, rather than it’s temporarily unusable. > [@md2000](#): > > Like the automobile name, “No va”? No. Way too informal. > [@syncrolecyne](#): > > Yes, and likewise, “afuera” is outside or outdoors. > > Descompuesto is another possible word, but is more akin to “broken down” - as in totally kaput. _Descompuesto_ would work, although it would be more common in some dialects than in others and I can’t say how common it would be in Mexican dialects. It doesn’t imply completely and finally broken: someone who has “a bad tummy” is _descompuesto_ as well and we generally don’t expect them to die from it. > [@John\_Mace](#): > > That translates as “I don’t work it”. I think you mean “_No trabajas_”. As has been explained, but just adding a +1 from Spain, _trabajar_ is just the wrong verb; machines/laws and _trabajar_ don’t go together in Spanish, the verb is reserved for people or groups thereof. It can be used for animals but only in specific circumstances (“leave the police doggie be, honey, he’s at work” - _deja tranquilo al perrito, cariño, está trabajando_). > [@Colophon](#): > > I’ve seen _NO FUNCIONA_ on signs in Spain, and that’s the wording I would have suggested. [Example](http://www.photographersdirect.com/buyers/stockphoto.asp?imageid=1292708). Maybe that would look odd in Mexico, though. I don’t remember seeing it in Mexico, but I’ve spent a lot less time there than several of our posters. _No funciona_ is sort of more informal than _fuera de servicio_. IME you’re more likely to see _fuera de servicio_ in something like a sticker from the service company, and _no funciona_ in a sign written by one of the people who use it. I expect both would be understood by anybody. ---
**Author:** ![No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/no_me_ayudes_compadre/32/5224_2.png) [@No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Me_Ayudes_Compadre)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2015, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-idiom-mexican-spanish-equivalent/714115/32 "2015-03-05T17:39:00Z")
I would expect to see _Fuera de Servicio_ on a sign placed by the rightful operator of the machine, and _No Funciona_ on a sign placed by a helpful user. ---
**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2015, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-idiom-mexican-spanish-equivalent/714115/33 "2015-03-05T18:14:45Z")
Leave the sign in English - just make it BIGGER:D ---
**Author:** ![Nom\_de\_Plume](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85f322/32.png) [@Nom\_de\_Plume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nom_de_Plume)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-idiom-mexican-spanish-equivalent/714115/34 "2015-03-06T12:38:59Z")
Would “Esta rota” work? ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-idiom-mexican-spanish-equivalent/714115/35 "2015-03-06T12:55:37Z")
> [@Nom\_de\_Plume](#): > > Would “Esta rota” work? Yes, but it would be even more informal than “No funciona”. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-idiom-mexican-spanish-equivalent/714115/36 "2015-03-06T14:55:53Z")
Is “clothes dryer” feminine? Or does it fall under “_la machina_”? ---
**Author:** ![FD347](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FD347](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FD347)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-idiom-mexican-spanish-equivalent/714115/37 "2015-03-06T15:06:48Z")
A piece of duct tape on the coin slot would say it in every language. Pull the fuse for insurance. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-idiom-mexican-spanish-equivalent/714115/38 "2015-03-06T15:11:31Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Is “clothes dryer” feminine? Or does it fall under “_la machina_”? The word is _secadora_, and is feminine. (Likewise _lavadora_, washing machine.) ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-idiom-mexican-spanish-equivalent/714115/39 "2015-03-06T15:14:24Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Is “clothes dryer” feminine? Or does it fall under “_la machina_”? Here in the Yucatan, we call it “la secadora” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-idiom-mexican-spanish-equivalent/714115.md?page=1)