French Phrase
La douche est bouchée.
Meaning
Literally, ‘The shower is clogged.’ It indicates that water cannot flow properly because something is obstructing the drain.
When to use
Use this sentence when you discover a blocked shower at home, in a hotel, or in any bathroom. It’s a common way to report a plumbing problem to a roommate, a landlord, or a maintenance staff.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Ladoucheestbouchée
Definite article (La)
‘La’ is the feminine singular definite article, used because ‘douche’ is a feminine noun.
Noun gender (douche)
‘Douche’ (shower) is feminine, so adjectives and past participles must agree in gender.
Verb être (est)
‘Est’ is the third‑person singular present of ‘être’, used to link the subject with a description.
Past participle agreement (bouchée)
‘Bouché’ means ‘blocked’; the extra ‘e’ marks the feminine agreement with ‘douche’.
🗨In Conversation
La douche est bouchée.
The shower is clogged.
Je vais appeler le plombier tout de suite.
I’ll call the plumber right away.
✕Common Mistakes
La douche est bouché.
The past participle must agree with the feminine noun ‘douche’, so it should be ‘bouchée’.
La douche est bloquée.
‘Bloquée’ is understandable but not the usual term for a clogged drain; ‘bouchée’ is the idiomatic choice.
La douche est bouché
Missing the final ‘e’ on ‘bouchée’ and missing the period are both errors.
↔Alternatives
La douche ne fonctionne pas.
The shower isn’t working.
L'eau ne s'écoule plus dans la douche.
The water no longer drains in the shower.
Il y a un bouchon dans la douche.
There’s a blockage in the shower.
Cultural Tip
In France many older apartments have classic ‘douche à l'italienne’ (walk‑in showers) that can get clogged with hair or soap scum. When reporting the problem, it’s polite to say ‘Excusez‑moi, la douche est bouchée’ and to ask if you can try a plunger before calling a plumber. In formal settings, avoid slang like ‘la douche est plantée’.