El canvi de marxes funciona bé.

The bicycle gear mechanism works well.

Breakdown of El canvi de marxes funciona bé.

• bé: well
• funcionar: to work
• el canvi de marxes: the bicycle gear mechanism

Questions & Answers about El canvi de marxes funciona bé.

What does canvi de marxes literally mean, and is it a fixed expression?

Literally, canvi de marxes means change of gears.

In real usage, though, it often refers to the gear shift, gear-changing system, or sometimes the gearbox/transmission, depending on context. So yes, it works a bit like a set expression in car-related language, not just a fully literal phrase every time.

Why is there de in canvi de marxes?

De often links two nouns in Catalan, much like of in English.

So:

canvi = change
de marxes = of gears

Together, canvi de marxes means something like gear changing or gear shift. This structure is very common in Catalan:

• tassa de cafè = cup of coffee
• cotxe de carreres = racing car
• canvi de marxes = gear shift / gear changing

Why is marxes plural here?

Because it refers to gears in general, as a system, not just one gear.

Marxa can mean gear in a vehicle context, and marxes means gears. Since a gearbox or gear shift deals with multiple gears, the plural is natural.