Breakdown of Cette saleté ne fait que clignoter.
ne
not (used before the verb)
ce
this (before a noun)
faire
to do, to make
la saleté
the piece of junk
Questions & Answers about Cette saleté ne fait que clignoter.
Why is there no pas in ne fait que?
This uses the restrictive ne ... que structure, which means "only". When combined with the verb faire (to do), ne faire que + infinitive literally translates to "to only do [action]". In natural English, we usually say "to do nothing but [action]". Because ne ... que is already a complete structure of restriction, adding pas would be incorrect.
I thought saleté meant "dirt". Why is it translated as "piece of junk"?
While saleté does literally mean dirt or filth, in spoken French it is frequently used as an exclamation or insult for an annoying object that isn't working properly (like a router, a car, or an appliance). It is similar to calling something a "piece of junk" or "stupid thing" in English.
If I want to say "does nothing but", shouldn't I include rien and say ne fait rien que clignoter?
No, adding rien is a common trap for English speakers because of how we translate it. The fixed expression for this exclusive action is simply ne faire que + infinitive. The "nothing but" translation is just the most natural way to express the idea in English, but the French logic relies purely on the restriction "only does".
How would I put this sentence in the past tense to say "This piece of junk did nothing but blink"?