French Phrase
L'imprimante marche pas.
Meaning
Literally, 'The printer doesn't work.' In everyday French, this informal construction drops the ne and uses marche to mean 'function'. It conveys a simple statement that the printer is out of order.
When to use
Use this phrase when you’re troubleshooting at home, in an office, or talking with a colleague about a malfunctioning printer. It’s casual, so reserve it for friends, coworkers, or informal settings, not for formal written complaints.
✦Grammar Breakdown
L'imprimantemarchepas
Article élidé
L' is the elided form of le/la before a vowel or mute h, used here because imprimante starts with a vowel.
Negation (pas)
In informal spoken French, the negation can be shortened to just 'pas' after the verb, dropping 'ne'.
Verb marche
Marche is the third‑person singular present of marcher, used colloquially to mean 'to work' or 'to function'.
Subject‑verb agreement
The verb marche agrees with the feminine singular noun imprimante.
🗨In Conversation
L'imprimante marche pas.
The printer isn’t working.
Tu as vérifié le papier et l’encre ?
Did you check the paper and the ink?
✕Common Mistakes
L'imprimante ne marche pas.
In formal writing you must keep the 'ne' (ne marche pas).
L'impression marche pas.
Do not confuse with 'impression' (printing) – the device is 'imprimante'.
L'imprimante pas marche.
Never place 'pas' before the verb; it must follow the verb.
↔Alternatives
L'imprimante ne fonctionne pas.
The printer does not function.
L'imprimante est en panne.
The printer is broken.
L'imprimante ne marche plus.
The printer no longer works.
Cultural Tip
In French, the informal negation without 'ne' is common in spoken language, especially among younger speakers. In a professional email you’d keep the full 'ne ... pas' form. Also, 'marche' as 'works' is colloquial; more technical contexts prefer 'fonctionne'.