French for the Repair Café: Describing an Intermittent Fault
Learn to explain a device that only sometimes fails, using 'parfois', 'de temps en temps' and 'quand je le secoue', plus a short intake dialogue.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
At a repair café, you often need to describe a problem that does not happen every time. In French, you can say when and how often the fault appears. This lesson gives you simple phrases and a short dialogue so you can explain an intermittent fault clearly and answer the volunteer's questions.
By the end, you can…
- say how often a device fails using 'parfois' and 'de temps en temps'.
- describe a condition that triggers the fault, such as 'quand je le secoue'.
- answer the question 'Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas ?' with a frequency and a condition.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Parfois, ça ne marche pas.
Sometimes it doesn't work.
par-FEE, sa nuh marsh-PAH
Use this to say the device fails some of the time. 'Ça' refers to the device.
De temps en temps, l'écran s'éteint.
From time to time, the screen goes off.
duh tahn-z ahn tahn, lay-KRAHN say-TAN
Use 'de temps en temps' for a fault that happens occasionally. 'L'écran' means the screen.
Quand je le secoue, ça s'arrête.
When I shake it, it stops.
kahn zhuh luh suh-KOO, sa sa-RET
Use 'quand je le secoue' to describe an action that triggers the fault. 'Le' refers to a masculine device.
Ça arrive surtout le matin.
It happens especially in the morning.
sa a-REEV sewr-TOO luh ma-TAN
Use 'surtout' to say when the fault is most common. You can replace 'le matin' with another time.
Je ne sais pas pourquoi.
I don't know why.
zhuh nuh say pah poor-KWAH
Use this when you cannot explain the cause. It is polite and honest.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To describe an intermittent fault, use a frequency phrase plus a description: 'Parfois, ça ne marche pas.' You can also add a condition with 'quand': 'Quand je le secoue, ça s'arrête.' For feminine devices, use 'la' instead of 'le': 'Quand je la secoue, ça s'arrête.' The phrase 'de temps en temps' works like 'parfois' but often suggests a slightly lower frequency.
When to use it
Use these phrases when the volunteer asks 'Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas ?' and you need to explain that the problem is not constant. Start with the frequency, then the symptom, then the condition if you know it. For example: 'Parfois, ça ne marche pas. Quand je le secoue, ça s'arrête.' If you are not sure, say 'Je ne sais pas pourquoi.' This helps the volunteer understand that the fault may not appear during the repair.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Bonjour, qu'est-ce qui ne va pas ?
Hello, what's wrong?bon-ZHOOR, kess-kee nuh va PAHBonjour. Parfois, ça ne marche pas. Quand je le secoue, ça s'arrête.
Hello. Sometimes it doesn't work. When I shake it, it stops.bon-ZHOOR. par-FEE, sa nuh marsh-PAH. kahn zhuh luh suh-KOO, sa sa-RETD'accord. Et ça arrive quand ?
Okay. And when does it happen?da-KOR. ay sa a-REEV kahnDe temps en temps, surtout le matin. Je ne sais pas pourquoi.
From time to time, especially in the morning. I don't know why.duh tahn-z ahn tahn, sewr-TOO luh ma-TAN. zhuh nuh say pah poor-KWAHA little context goes a long way
In France and Belgium, repair cafés are friendly, volunteer-run places. It is normal to describe the fault simply and honestly. Use 'vous' with the volunteer unless they invite 'tu'. Avoid saying 'toujours' if the fault is only occasional; that can mislead. If you are in Belgium, the same phrases work, and 'parfois' is common in both countries.
One thing to watch for
Saying 'Ça ne marche pas toujours' to mean 'It doesn't always work'.
Try this instead: In French, 'toujours' in a negative sentence usually means 'never' or 'not at all'. To say 'sometimes it doesn't work', use 'Parfois, ça ne marche pas.' If you want to say 'it doesn't always work', you can say 'Ça ne marche pas à tous les coups', but the simplest is 'Parfois, ça ne marche pas.'
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'Sometimes it doesn't work' in French?
Show a sample answer
Parfois, ça ne marche pas.
This uses 'parfois' for frequency and 'ça ne marche pas' for the fault. You can also say 'Des fois, ça ne marche pas' in informal speech.
2How do you say 'When I shake it, it stops'?
Show a sample answer
Quand je le secoue, ça s'arrête.
This uses 'quand' plus a subject and verb. If the device is feminine, use 'la': 'Quand je la secoue, ça s'arrête.'
3What question does the volunteer ask to find out what's wrong?
Show a sample answer
Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas ?
This is a standard friendly question. You can answer with a frequency and a condition, for example: 'Parfois, ça ne marche pas. Quand je le secoue, ça s'arrête.'
Use 'parfois' or 'de temps en temps' for frequency, and 'quand je le secoue' for a condition. Answer 'Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas ?' with a simple, honest description.
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