Le micro ne fonctionne pas ce soir.

The microphone is not working tonight.

Breakdown of Le micro ne fonctionne pas ce soir.

• ne ... pas: not
• fonctionner: to work
• ce soir: tonight
• le micro: the microphone

Questions & Answers about Le micro ne fonctionne pas ce soir.

Why is it le micro and not un micro?

Le micro uses the definite article le, which usually means we are talking about a specific, known microphone (for example, the one in the room, the one for the show, etc.).

• Le micro ne fonctionne pas ce soir.
  → The microphone (the one we’re expecting to use) isn’t working tonight.

If you said un micro, it would sound like “a (random) microphone,” not one that is already identified in the situation:

• Un micro ne fonctionne pas ce soir.
  → Could suggest “One (of the) microphones isn’t working tonight.”

So le is used because speaker and listener both know which microphone they mean.

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Is micro always masculine? How do I know the gender?

Yes, micro is masculine: le micro, un micro, ce micro, mon micro.

It’s actually a shortened form of microphone, which is also masculine (le microphone). In French, abbreviations usually keep the gender of the full word.

Unfortunately, there is no simple rule that lets you guess the gender of every noun. In practice:

• Check a dictionary.
• Learn the noun together with its article: le micro, not just micro.

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Why is the negation split into ne ... fonctionne pas?

French standard negation normally has two parts:

• ne (or n’ before a vowel)
• pas (or another negative word like jamais, plus, etc.)

They go around the conjugated verb:

• Le micro ne fonctionne pas ce soir.
  → ne
  • fonctionne
    • pas

More examples:

• Je ne comprends pas. – I don’t understand.
• Ils ne viennent pas. – They’re not coming.

So the pattern is:
Subject + ne + verb + pas + (rest of sentence).

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In spoken French, do people actually say ne, or can I say Le micro fonctionne pas ce soir?

In everyday spoken French, many people drop ne:

• Le micro fonctionne pas ce soir.

This is very common and sounds natural in casual conversation, but:

• It is not considered correct in formal writing.

• In exams, essays, emails, or speeches, you should keep ne:

  • Le micro ne fonctionne pas ce soir.

As a learner, it’s safest to always use both parts: ne … pas when you’re speaking carefully or writing.

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Why fonctionne and not travaille or marche?

In French, different verbs are used where English uses work:

• fonctionner – to function, to work (for devices, systems, mechanisms)

  • Le micro ne fonctionne pas. – The microphone doesn’t work / isn’t functioning.

• marcher – literally “to walk,” but informally also “to work” for devices:

  • Le micro ne marche pas. – The mic doesn’t work. (more casual)

• travailler – to work (for people, sometimes for materials, but not for a microphone):

  • ❌ Le micro ne travaille pas – sounds wrong.

So for a microphone:

• fonctionner = standard / neutral
• marcher = more informal, everyday
• travailler = not used in this sense

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If we’re talking about tonight (the future), why is the verb in the present: ne fonctionne pas and not ne fonctionnera pas?

French often uses the present tense + a time expression to talk about the near future:

• Le micro ne fonctionne pas ce soir.
  Literally: “does not work this evening,” but in context = “isn’t working tonight / won’t be working tonight.”

When you add ce soir, the time is already clear, so the present can naturally refer to the future.

You can use the future:

• Le micro ne fonctionnera pas ce soir.

That sounds like a prediction or planned fact: we already know in advance the mic won’t be working tonight (for example, because it’s being repaired).

Both are correct; the present is very common in speech.

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Can ce soir go in a different place in the sentence?

Yes, time expressions like ce soir are quite flexible. All of these are possible:

1. Ce soir, le micro ne fonctionne pas.
   – Emphasis on “tonight” (contrast with other times).

2. Le micro, ce soir, ne fonctionne pas.
   – Emphasis on tonight affecting this mic; more spoken / stylistic.

3. Le micro ne fonctionne pas ce soir.
   – Very standard and neutral (time expression at the end).

All are grammatically correct. The end position (ne fonctionne pas ce soir) is the most common and neutral.

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Why is it ce soir and not ce nuit, cette nuit, or à soir?

These expressions are not interchangeable:

• ce soir – this evening / tonight (from early evening until late evening)

  • Le micro ne fonctionne pas ce soir. – The mic doesn’t work this evening / tonight.

• cette nuit – tonight / last night, but referring to the nighttime (when it’s really dark, when people sleep).

  • Le micro ne fonctionne pas cette nuit. – The mic won’t work during the night (e.g., from midnight to 4 a.m.).

• ce nuit – ❌ incorrect in standard French.

• à soir – used in some regional varieties (notably Quebec French), but not standard in France.
  In standard French, you say ce soir, not à soir.

So in neutral, standard French for “tonight” in most everyday contexts, use ce soir.

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Is Le micro ne marche pas ce soir also correct? What is the difference from ne fonctionne pas?

Yes, Le micro ne marche pas ce soir is correct and commonly heard.

Difference in nuance:

• ne fonctionne pas

  • More neutral, slightly more formal/technical.
  • Could be used in written notices, announcements, technical explanations.

• ne marche pas

  • More informal, everyday speech.
  • Very common in conversation: Ça marche ? = “Does that work / OK?”

Both are fine in spoken French; fonctionner sounds a bit more careful or formal.

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How do you pronounce Le micro ne fonctionne pas ce soir?

Approximate pronunciation:

• Le – [lə] (like “leuh”)
• micro – [mikʁo] (mee-kroh, with a French r)
• ne – [nə], but often reduced or almost swallowed in speech
• fonctionne – [fɔ̃k.sjɔn]
  
  • fonc-: nasal on sound [fɔ̃]
  • -tionne: [sjɔn], like “syon”
• pas – [pa] (final s is silent)
• ce – [sə] (like “suh”)
• soir – [swaʁ] (“swahr” with French r; final r is pronounced)

You might actually hear something like:
Le micro n’fonctionne pas c’soir – some vowels reduced, ne very weak or dropped, ce sometimes slightly shortened in fast speech.

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How would I turn this into a question in French?

You have several options, from most colloquial to most formal:

1. Intonation only (very common in speech):

   • Le micro ne fonctionne pas ce soir ?
     Say it with rising intonation; like English “The mic isn’t working tonight?”

2. With est-ce que (neutral, standard):

   • Est-ce que le micro ne fonctionne pas ce soir ?
     “Is the mic not working tonight?”

3. Inversion (formal/written style):

   • Le micro ne fonctionne-t-il pas ce soir ?
     More elegant, a bit formal or literary.

All three are grammatically correct; option 1 or 2 is most common in everyday use.

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What is the difference between soir and soirée, and could I say ce soir vs cette soirée here?

• soir = the time of day (evening) as a neutral point in time.
• soirée = the duration of the evening, often with the idea of an event or activity during that time.

In your sentence:

• Le micro ne fonctionne pas ce soir.
  – The mic doesn’t work tonight (at some point this evening).

If you say:

• Le micro ne fonctionne pas pendant la soirée.
  – The microphone does not work during the evening / during the event.

Cette soirée usually refers to a specific event (“this party / this evening event”).
You normally would not replace ce soir with cette soirée directly in this sentence. The natural expression for “tonight” is ce soir, not cette soirée.