La fotocopiadora no funciona bien hoy, así que haré las copias mañana.

Breakdown of La fotocopiadora no funciona bien hoy, así que haré las copias mañana.

yo
I
hacer
to make
hoy
today
mañana
tomorrow
bien
well
así que
so
funcionar
to work
no
not
la fotocopiadora
the photocopier
la copia
the copy

Questions & Answers about La fotocopiadora no funciona bien hoy, así que haré las copias mañana.

Why is it la fotocopiadora and not just fotocopiadora?

Spanish usually uses the definite article more often than English. La fotocopiadora means the photocopier / the copy machine.

In English, you might say Photocopier isn’t working well today in some contexts, but in Spanish that sounds incomplete. Normally you would say La fotocopiadora....

Also, fotocopiadora is feminine, so it takes la, not el.

Why is it funciona bien and not es bien or está bien?

Funcionar means to work / to function for machines, devices, systems, etc.

So:

  • La fotocopiadora no funciona bien = The photocopier isn’t working well
  • Está bien usually means it is fine / okay
  • Es bien is not the normal way to say this

For machines, Spanish commonly uses funcionar:

  • Mi móvil no funciona
  • La impresora funciona mal
  • El ascensor no funciona
Why is it bien and not buena?

Because bien is an adverb, and it modifies the verb funciona.

  • bien = well
  • bueno / buena = good

Here, the sentence is saying how the machine works, so Spanish needs the adverb:

  • funciona bien = works well

Compare:

  • La fotocopiadora es buena = The photocopier is good
  • La fotocopiadora funciona bien = The photocopier works well
What exactly does hoy mean here, and where does it usually go in the sentence?

Hoy means today.

In this sentence, hoy tells you when the photocopier is not working properly:

  • La fotocopiadora no funciona bien hoy = The photocopier isn’t working well today

Its position is flexible. You could also say:

  • Hoy la fotocopiadora no funciona bien

Both are correct. The original version sounds natural and neutral.

What does así que mean, and is it the same as porque?

Así que means so, therefore, or so then. It introduces a consequence or result.

  • La fotocopiadora no funciona bien hoy, así que haré las copias mañana. = The photocopier isn’t working well today, so I’ll make the copies tomorrow.

It is not the same as porque:

  • porque = because → gives a reason
  • así que = so → gives a result

Compare:

  • Haré las copias mañana porque la fotocopiadora no funciona bien hoy.
  • La fotocopiadora no funciona bien hoy, así que haré las copias mañana.

Both are correct, but the relationship is expressed differently.

Why is it haré? What tense is that?

Haré is the first person singular simple future of hacer.

  • hacer = to do / to make
  • haré = I will do / I will make

The full idea is:

  • haré las copias mañana = I’ll make the copies tomorrow

The future of hacer is irregular:

  • haré
  • harás
  • hará
  • haremos
  • haréis
  • harán

It does not become haceré. The stem changes to har-.

Could you also say voy a hacer las copias mañana?

Yes. That would be completely natural.

  • Haré las copias mañana
  • Voy a hacer las copias mañana

Both mean I’ll make the copies tomorrow.

A rough difference:

  • haré = simple future; a bit more concise, sometimes slightly more formal or matter-of-fact
  • voy a hacer = near future; very common in everyday speech

In Spain, both are used a lot. In this sentence, haré sounds perfectly normal.

Why is it las copias instead of just copias?

Spanish often uses the definite article where English might not.

Las copias means the copies. Even if English might say I’ll make copies tomorrow, Spanish often prefers haré las copias when the copies are understood from context.

This can sound more natural in Spanish because the speaker is referring to specific copies that need to be made.

You may also hear:

  • haré unas copias = I’ll make some copies
  • haré copias = I’ll make copies

But haré las copias is very natural when both speaker and listener know which copies are meant.

Why is the verb hacer used with copias?

In Spanish, the normal expression is hacer copias = to make copies.

So:

  • hacer una copia
  • hacer fotocopias
  • hacer las copias

Even though English might use make copies or do the copying, Spanish commonly uses hacer here.

You could also hear:

  • sacar copias in some varieties of Spanish, meaning to make copies
  • fotocopiar = to photocopy

But hacer las copias is standard and easy to understand everywhere.

Why is mañana used without a preposition?

Because in Spanish, many time expressions do not need a preposition.

  • hoy = today
  • mañana = tomorrow
  • ayer = yesterday

So you say:

  • mañana iré
  • hoy trabajo
  • ayer fui

Not:

  • en mañana for tomorrow in this meaning

So:

  • haré las copias mañana = I’ll make the copies tomorrow
Why is there an accent mark in así and haré?

The accent marks show the correct stress.

  • así is stressed on the last syllable: a-
  • haré is stressed on the last syllable: ha-

These written accents are important because they tell you how to pronounce the words correctly and sometimes distinguish them from other forms.

For example:

  • hare without an accent would be pronounced differently and is actually a noun meaning a type of rabbit in English: hare
  • haré means I will do / make
Why is the sentence in this word order? Could it be rearranged?

Yes, Spanish word order is flexible, although the original sentence is very natural.

Original:

  • La fotocopiadora no funciona bien hoy, así que haré las copias mañana.

Possible variations:

  • Hoy la fotocopiadora no funciona bien, así que haré las copias mañana.
  • Haré las copias mañana, porque la fotocopiadora no funciona bien hoy.
  • Mañana haré las copias, porque hoy la fotocopiadora no funciona bien.

The original order sounds neutral and clear:

  1. what the problem is
  2. the consequence

That is a very common structure in Spanish.

Is fotocopiadora the usual word in Spain?

Yes, fotocopiadora is a normal and widely understood word in Spain for photocopier / copy machine.

You may also hear:

  • copiadora in some contexts
  • máquina de fotocopias occasionally, if someone wants to be more explicit

But la fotocopiadora is standard and very natural in Spain.

How would this sentence sound in more casual everyday Spanish from Spain?

The original sentence already sounds natural. But in casual everyday speech, someone in Spain might also say:

  • La fotocopiadora hoy no va bien, así que mañana hago las copias.
  • La fotocopiadora no funciona bien hoy, así que mañana hago las copias.
  • Como la fotocopiadora no funciona bien hoy, haré las copias mañana.

A few notes:

  • no va bien is a very common informal way to say isn’t working properly
  • Present tense for future time, like mañana hago las copias, is also common in everyday speech

Still, your original sentence is correct, natural, and clear.

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