French Phrase
Le produit marche pas comme il devrait.
Meaning
This phrase is a common way to express frustration or report a malfunction with a device or item. It highlights that while the product might be active, its performance does not meet expectations or intended standards.
When to use
Use this phrase when speaking to customer support, returning a faulty item to a store, or complaining to a friend about a gadget. It is common in everyday spoken French.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Le produitmarche pascommeil devrait
Marcher vs Fonctionner
'Marcher' is the most common informal way to say a machine is 'working'. 'Fonctionner' is slightly more formal.
Devrait (Conditionnel)
The verb 'devoir' is used in the conditional mood to express 'should' or an expectation of how something ought to be.
🗨In Conversation
Tu as enfin reçu ton nouvel ordinateur ?
Did you finally receive your new computer?
Oui, mais le produit marche pas comme il devrait.
Yes, but the product doesn't work like it should.
✕Common Mistakes
Le produit ne travaille pas.
In French, 'travailler' is used for people working a job, whereas 'marcher' or 'fonctionner' is used for machines and products.
Le produit marche pas comme il doit.
The conditional 'devrait' (should) is more appropriate than the indicative 'doit' (must) when expressing a failure to meet an expected standard.
↔Alternatives
Ça ne fonctionne pas correctement.
It isn't functioning correctly.
Le produit est défectueux.
The product is defective.
Cultural Tip
In spoken French, the negative particle 'ne' is almost always dropped in casual conversation, which is why this phrase uses 'marche pas' instead of 'ne marche pas'. However, in formal writing or professional emails, you should always include the 'ne'.