Reporting Problems in Spanish: Broken AC and No Hot Water
Learn to report a broken air conditioner or missing hot water in Latin American Spanish, say what is not working, and ask when it will be fixed.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
When something breaks in your room or apartment, you need to report the problem clearly and ask when it will be repaired. This is different from asking for an extra towel or a new pillow. Here you will learn to say that the air conditioning is not working, that there is no hot water, and how to ask about repair timelines. You will use the verb funcionar (to work, to function) and the phrase no hay (there is not / there are not). These two patterns cover most everyday repair reports in Spanish.
By the end, you can…
- say that the air conditioning is not working in Spanish.
- report that there is no hot water.
- ask when a repair will be done.
- describe a problem in a room or apartment politely.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
El aire acondicionado no funciona.
The air conditioning isn't working.
el AI-reh ah-kon-dee-see-oh-NAH-doh noh foon-SEE-oh-nah
The most direct way to report a broken AC. Use funciona for machines and devices that should be running.
No hay agua caliente.
There is no hot water.
noh ai AH-gwah kah-LYEN-teh
No hay means there is not or there are not. Use it for missing water, electricity, or supplies.
El aire no enfría.
The air conditioning isn't cooling.
el AI-reh noh en-FREE-ah
Useful when the unit turns on but does not cool. Enfría comes from enfriar, to cool.
¿Puede mandar a alguien a revisarlo?
Can you send someone to check it?
PWEH-deh man-DAR ah AL-gyen ah reh-vee-SAR-loh
A polite request for a technician. The pronoun lo refers to the air conditioner.
¿Cuándo van a arreglarlo?
When are they going to fix it?
KWAHN-doh ban ah ah-reh-GLAR-loh
Asks for a repair timeline. Van is the ellos form of ir, used for they or the staff.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Use no funciona to say a device is not working: El aire acondicionado no funciona. La televisión no funciona. El ascensor no funciona. Use no hay for something that is missing: No hay agua caliente. No hay luz. No hay toallas. Notice that no hay does not change for singular or plural: No hay agua caliente and No hay toallas use the same form. To ask for a timeline, use ¿Cuándo van a...? plus the infinitive: ¿Cuándo van a arreglarlo? ¿Cuándo van a revisarlo?
When to use it
Report the problem first, then ask for action. Start with a polite greeting: Disculpe, el aire acondicionado no funciona. Then add the request: ¿Puede mandar a alguien? Finally ask the timeline: ¿Cuándo van a arreglarlo? This order works at a hotel front desk, with a landlord, or with a building manager. If you only need a temporary solution, say ¿Me pueden cambiar de cuarto? (Can you change my room?). Keep the tone calm and specific.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Disculpe, el aire acondicionado no funciona.
Excuse me, the air conditioning isn't working.dees-KOOL-peh, el AI-reh ah-kon-dee-see-oh-NAH-doh noh foon-SEE-oh-nahLo siento. ¿También no hay agua caliente?
I'm sorry. Is there also no hot water?loh SYEN-toh. tam-BYEN noh ai AH-gwah kah-LYEN-tehSí, no hay agua caliente. ¿Puede mandar a alguien a revisarlo?
Yes, there is no hot water. Can you send someone to check it?see, noh ai AH-gwah kah-LYEN-teh. PWEH-deh man-DAR ah AL-gyen ah reh-vee-SAR-lohClaro. Podemos ir hoy a las cinco.
Of course. We can go today at five.KLAH-roh. poh-DEH-mohs eer oi ah las SEEN-kohA little context goes a long way
In much of Latin America, hotel and building staff generally expect a brief, polite report rather than a long complaint. Using disculpe and gracias keeps the interaction friendly. In many regions people say el aire or el aire acondicionado; in Mexico and parts of Central America, el aire is especially common in everyday speech, while el aire acondicionado is also widely understood and used. Repair timelines may be expressed loosely, so ask for a specific hour if you need one.
One thing to watch for
Saying El aire acondicionado no está trabajando to mean it is broken.
Try this instead: Trabajar means to work in the sense of having a job. For machines, use funcionar: El aire acondicionado no funciona. If the unit runs but does not cool, say El aire no enfría.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'There is no hot water' in Spanish?
Show a sample answer
No hay agua caliente.
No hay expresses the absence of something and stays the same for singular and plural. You could also say No tenemos agua caliente if you mean 'we don't have hot water.'
2A guest says the AC turns on but does not cool. What sentence fits?
Show a sample answer
El aire no enfría.
Enfría means 'it cools.' This is more precise than no funciona when the device has power but is not cooling. El aire acondicionado no enfría is also correct.
3How do you ask when they will fix the AC?
Show a sample answer
¿Cuándo van a arreglarlo?
Van a plus infinitive expresses a future plan. Arreglarlo means 'to fix it.' You may also hear ¿Cuándo lo van a arreglar? with the same meaning.
Report the problem with no funciona or no hay, then ask ¿Cuándo van a arreglarlo? to get a clear repair timeline.
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