Portuguese Phrase
O ar-condicionado não tá funcionando.
Meaning
Literally, 'The air‑conditioner is not working.' It conveys that the cooling unit is currently out of order. The use of 'tá' makes the sentence informal and typical of spoken Brazilian Portuguese.
When to use
Use this phrase when you notice the air‑conditioner has stopped cooling or is making strange noises, especially in casual conversation with friends, family, or a building manager.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Oar-condicionadonãotáfuncionando
Definite article (O)
The masculine singular article 'O' agrees with the noun 'ar-condicionado' and marks it as a specific item.
Compound noun (ar‑condicionado)
A hyphenated compound noun; the hyphen is mandatory in Portuguese.
Negation (não)
Placed before the verb phrase to negate the whole action.
Colloquial verb form (tá)
'Tá' is the informal contraction of 'está' (the third‑person singular of 'estar'), used in everyday speech.
Gerund (funcionando)
The gerund of 'funcionar' expresses an ongoing action, equivalent to English '-ing'.
🗨In Conversation
O ar-condicionado não tá funcionando.
The air‑conditioner isn’t working.
Vou chamar o técnico agora.
I’ll call the technician right now.
✕Common Mistakes
O ar‑condicionado não está funcionando.
In informal speech, Brazilians usually say 'não tá' instead of the full 'não está'. Using the full form is not wrong, just more formal.
O ar condicionado não tá funcionando.
The hyphen is required; without it the phrase looks like two separate words and is considered a spelling mistake.
O ar‑condicionado não funciona.
'Não funciona' describes a permanent state, while 'não tá funcionando' emphasizes a current problem.
↔Alternatives
O ar‑condicionado não está funcionando.
The air‑conditioner is not working.
O ar‑condicionado está com defeito.
The air‑conditioner is defective.
O ar‑condicionado parou de funcionar.
The air‑conditioner stopped working.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, 'tá' is a very common spoken shortcut for 'está' and is perfectly natural in informal settings, but you should avoid it in formal writing, emails to a boss, or official complaints. Also, remember to keep the hyphen in 'ar‑condicionado'—leaving it out is considered a spelling error.