French for the Repair Café: Saying a Hinge Is Loose and a Screw Is Missing
Learn to point out a loose hinge, a moving screw or a missing screw in French, and to show a wobbly lamp politely at a repair café.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
At a repair café, you often need to describe a small mechanical problem before anyone can help. This lesson gives you three precise French sentences for a loose hinge, a screw that moves and a screw that is missing. You will also learn to locate the problem with ici, là and en bas, and to show a wobbly lamp politely to a volunteer. The focus is on speaking clearly and neutrally, not on repairing anything yourself.
By the end, you can…
- say that a hinge is loose using la charnière est desserrée.
- say that a screw moves or is missing using la vis bouge and il manque une vis.
- point to a problem with ici, là and en bas.
- politely show a wobbly lamp to a volunteer and ask a simple question.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
La charnière est desserrée.
The hinge is loose.
lah shar-NYEHR eh deh-seh-RAY
Use this for a hinge that is not tight, for example on a small cupboard door or a folding lamp arm. The adjective desserrée agrees with the feminine noun charnière.
La vis bouge.
The screw moves.
lah VEESS BOOZH
Use this when a screw is not firmly fixed and you can feel or see it move. Vis is feminine, so use la vis.
Il manque une vis.
A screw is missing.
eel MAHNK oon VEESS
Use this when you can see an empty hole or when a part is held by fewer screws than expected. The expression il manque is a fixed way to say something is missing.
Le problème est ici.
The problem is here.
luh proh-BLEHM eh ee-SEE
Use ici for something close to you or close to where you are pointing. It is neutral and polite.
C'est là, en bas.
It's there, at the bottom.
seh LAH, ahn BAH
Use là for something a little farther away or already mentioned, and en bas for the lower part of an object. The final s in bas is silent.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To describe a problem, use a simple subject + verb + state pattern. For a feminine noun, say la charnière est desserrée. For a screw that is not fixed, say la vis bouge. For something absent, use il manque + une vis. These are complete sentences, so you can say them directly to a volunteer. You can also add a location: la vis bouge ici, or il manque une vis en bas. Keep the sentences short and point at the same time.
When to use it
Use la charnière est desserrée when a hinge feels loose but is still attached. Use la vis bouge when the screw is present but not stable. Use il manque une vis when there is an empty hole. If you are not sure, say je pense que la vis bouge or je crois qu'il manque une vis. These softeners are polite and do not claim too much. Avoid giving repair instructions; your goal is to describe what you see and ask for help.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Bonjour, j'ai une lampe qui bouge. La charnière est desserrée, ici.
Hello, I have a lamp that wobbles. The hinge is loose, here.bohn-ZHOOR, zhay oon LAHMP kee BOOZH. lah shar-NYEHR eh deh-seh-RAY, ee-SEED'accord. Montrez-moi la lampe, s'il vous plaît.
All right. Show me the lamp, please.dah-KOR. mohn-TRAY mwah lah LAHMP, seel voo PLEHVoilà. La vis bouge là, et il manque une vis en bas.
Here it is. The screw moves there, and a screw is missing at the bottom.vwah-LAH. lah VEESS BOOZH LAH, ay eel MAHNK oon VEESS ahn BAHJe vois. Merci, c'est clair.
I see. Thank you, that's clear.zhuh VWAH. mehr-SEE, seh KLEHRA little context goes a long way
In a repair café, volunteers are usually not professional staff, so neutral polite French works well. Use bonjour when you arrive and merci when you finish. Tutoiement and vouvoiement both exist in France; with an unknown volunteer, vous is the safe choice. In Belgium and Switzerland, the same phrases are understood, though local pronunciation may differ slightly. Do not assume a fixed service policy or price; ask simple questions if you need to.
One thing to watch for
Saying la charnière est desserré, with the masculine adjective ending.
Try this instead: Charnière is feminine, so the adjective must agree: la charnière est desserrée. If you are talking about a masculine noun, for example le couvercle est desserré, the ending is different. Always check the noun gender before choosing the adjective form.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'The hinge is loose' in French?
Show a sample answer
La charnière est desserrée.
This uses the feminine noun charnière and the feminine adjective desserrée. A valid alternative is la charnière n'est pas serrée, but the target phrase is more natural here.
2You see an empty screw hole at the bottom of a lamp. What sentence can you use?
Show a sample answer
Il manque une vis en bas.
Il manque une vis means 'a screw is missing', and en bas locates it at the bottom. You could also say il manque une vis ici if the hole is close to you.
3A volunteer asks where the problem is. You want to say 'The problem is here.' What do you say?
Show a sample answer
Le problème est ici.
Ici means 'here' and is used for something close to you or close to your pointing finger. Là is also possible if the problem is slightly farther away or already known.
Use short, polite French sentences: la charnière est desserrée, la vis bouge, il manque une vis. Point with ici, là or en bas, and ask for help without giving repair instructions.
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