Italian Phrase
Il water non scarica.
Meaning
Literally, 'The water (toilet) does not flush.' It is used to report that the toilet's flushing mechanism is not working.
When to use
Use this sentence when you need to inform a landlord, housemate, or maintenance staff that the toilet is broken and needs fixing.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Ilwaternonscarica
Definite article (Il)
Il is the masculine singular definite article used before consonant sounds.
Loanword (water)
Water is an English loanword used colloquially in Italian to refer to the toilet.
Negation (non)
Non precedes the verb to make the sentence negative.
Verb (scarica)
Scaricare means 'to discharge/flush'; in third person singular present it becomes scarica.
🗨In Conversation
Il water non scarica.
The toilet doesn't flush.
Chiama l'idraulico subito.
Call the plumber right away.
✕Common Mistakes
Il water non scaricare.
The verb must be conjugated to match the subject; use 'scarica' not the infinitive 'scaricare'.
Il water non scarica
Missing period is fine, but the article should agree; if you say 'Il water', keep it masculine singular.
Il water non scarica!
Exclamation can sound overly dramatic; a simple statement is more natural.
↔Alternatives
Il water è intasato.
The toilet is clogged.
Il water non funziona.
The toilet doesn't work.
Il water non tira l'acqua.
The toilet doesn't pull water.
Cultural Tip
In Italy, the word 'water' for toilet is informal and mostly used by younger speakers; more formal contexts prefer 'gabinetto' or 'servizio igienico'. When speaking to a landlord or in a formal request, use 'Il gabinetto non scarica' to sound more polite.