German Phrase
Der Drucker geht nicht.
Meaning
Literally 'The printer goes not', this German idiom means 'The printer isn’t working' or 'The printer is out of order'. The verb 'gehen' is commonly used for devices to indicate they function.
When to use
Use this sentence when a printer stops printing, shows an error, or simply won’t turn on—whether you’re at home, in a small office, or in a larger workplace.
✦Grammar Breakdown
DerDruckergehtnicht
Der (definite article)
Masculine nominative singular article used before a noun that is the subject of the sentence.
Drucker (noun)
Masculine noun meaning 'printer'; in the nominative case as the subject.
geht (verb gehen)
Third‑person singular of 'gehen' used idiomatically to mean 'to work' or 'to function' for technical devices.
nicht (negation)
Placed after the verb to negate the whole predicate, meaning 'does not'.
🗨In Conversation
Der Drucker geht nicht.
The printer isn’t working.
Hast du den Netzstecker überprüft?
Did you check the power plug?
✕Common Mistakes
Der Drucker ist nicht gehen.
Do not use 'sein' with 'gehen' for devices; the correct construction is just 'geht nicht'.
Der Drucker nicht geht.
The negation must follow the verb: 'geht nicht', not 'nicht gehen'.
Der Drucker geht nicht mehr.
While grammatically correct, adding 'mehr' changes the nuance to 'no longer works', which may not be intended.
↔Alternatives
Der Drucker funktioniert nicht.
The printer does not function.
Der Drucker ist kaputt.
The printer is broken.
Der Drucker lässt sich nicht einschalten.
The printer won’t turn on.
Cultural Tip
In German, many electronic devices are described with the verb 'gehen' (e.g., 'Der Computer geht nicht', 'Die Lampe geht nicht'). It’s a colloquial but perfectly acceptable way to say something isn’t working. Avoid mixing it with 'sein' (e.g., *'Der Drucker ist nicht gehen'*), which is a common error for beginners.