Italian Phrase
La stampante non funziona.
Meaning
Literally, “The printer does not work.” It is used to state that a printer is currently out of order or not performing its function.
When to use
Use this sentence when you notice a printer is jammed, offline, or simply not printing. It works in both casual conversation at home and more formal settings like an office or a tech‑support call.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Lastampantenonfunziona
Definite article (La)
La is the feminine singular definite article, used because stampante is a feminine noun.
Noun gender (stampante)
Stampante ends in -e and is feminine; adjectives and articles must agree in gender and number.
Negation (non)
In Italian, the negation particle non precedes the verb it negates.
Verb conjugation (funziona)
Funziona is the 3rd person singular present indicative of funzionare, meaning ‘to work / function’.
🗨In Conversation
La stampante non funziona.
The printer isn’t working.
Hai provato a riavviarla?
Did you try restarting it?
✕Common Mistakes
La stampante non è funzionare.
Avoid mixing the verb ‘essere’ with the infinitive; the correct form is the simple present ‘funziona’.
Non funziona la stampante.
Word order is acceptable, but the standard neutral order places the article and noun first.
La stampante non funziona bene.
Adding ‘bene’ changes the meaning to ‘doesn’t work well’, which is different from a total failure.
↔Alternatives
La stampante è rotta.
The printer is broken.
La stampante non stampa.
The printer doesn’t print.
La stampante è fuori uso.
The printer is out of order.
Cultural Tip
In everyday Italian, non funziona is the go‑to way to describe any malfunctioning device, from a phone to a washing machine. It’s informal but perfectly acceptable in most contexts; in a very formal report you might say “la stampante è inattiva” or “la stampante presenta un guasto”.