French Phrase
La clim marche bien ?
Meaning
A short, informal way to ask whether the air‑conditioning unit is functioning properly. It can refer to a home, office, car or any place that has a climate‑control system.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to quickly check the status of an air‑conditioner, especially in casual conversation with friends, family, colleagues, or a hotel staff member.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Laclimmarchebien?
Article + noun (La clim)
‘La’ is the definite article for feminine nouns; ‘clim’ is a colloquial abbreviation of ‘climatisation’, which is feminine.
Verb ‘marcher’ (to work)
In this context, ‘marcher’ means ‘to function’. It is conjugated in the present tense, third‑person singular: il/elle marche.
Adverb placement (bien)
‘Bien’ follows the verb to modify how well something works.
Informal yes‑no question
Rising intonation and a question mark turn a statement into a question without needing ‘est‑ce que’ or inversion.
🗨In Conversation
La clim marche bien ?
Is the AC working fine?
Oui, elle fait du frais. Tu veux que je règle la température ?
Yes, it’s cooling. Do you want me to set the temperature?
✕Common Mistakes
La clim est bien ?
‘Être’ is not used to describe whether a device works; use ‘marcher’ or ‘fonctionner’.
Clim marche bien ?
In formal contexts you need the article and the full noun.
Bien la clim marche ?
Avoid placing ‘bien’ before the verb; it must follow the verb.
↔Alternatives
Est‑ce que la clim fonctionne bien ?
Is the AC functioning well?
La clim est‑elle en bon état ?
Is the AC in good condition?
Ça marche la clim ?
Is the AC working?
Cultural Tip
‘Clim’ is a very common slang term in France, especially among younger speakers and in everyday conversation. In formal writing or when speaking to strangers, it’s safer to use the full word ‘climatisation’ or the verb ‘fonctionner’. Also, French speakers often add ‘ça’ (Ça marche la clim ?) for an even more casual tone.