Italian Phrase
La TV non funziona.
Meaning
Literally, "The TV does not work." It is used to report that a television set is malfunctioning or has stopped functioning.
When to use
Use this sentence when you need to tell a family member, a hotel receptionist, a repair technician, or a friend that the television is broken or not turning on.
✦Grammar Breakdown
LaTVnonfunziona
La (definite article)
Feminine singular definite article; used because "TV" is treated as a feminine noun in Italian.
TV (noun)
"TV" is the common abbreviation for "televisione" and is considered feminine, so it takes "la".
non (negation)
Adverb placed before the verb to negate it; equivalent to "not" in English.
funziona (verb)
Third‑person singular present of "funzionare" (to work, to function).
🗨In Conversation
La TV non funziona.
The TV doesn't work.
Hai provato a riavviarla?
Did you try restarting it?
✕Common Mistakes
Il TV non funziona.
"TV" is feminine in Italian, so the correct article is "la".
La TV non funziona più.
Adding "più" changes the meaning to "the TV no longer works"; it's correct only if you mean it stopped working permanently.
La TV non funziona a.
The verb must be conjugated as "funziona"; "funziona a" is ungrammatical.
↔Alternatives
La televisione non funziona.
The television doesn't work.
Il televisore non funziona.
The TV set doesn't work.
Il televisore è rotto.
The TV set is broken.
Cultural Tip
In everyday Italian "TV" is the most common way to refer to a television, especially in informal speech. "Televisione" sounds more formal or technical, while "televisore" refers to the physical device. Remember that "TV" takes the feminine article "la" even though the word ends with a consonant.