El wifi no funciona por un problema técnico.

The Wi-Fi doesn’t work because of a technical problem.

Breakdown of El wifi no funciona por un problema técnico.

• un: a
• funcionar: to work (to function)
• no: not
• el problema: the problem

Questions & Answers about El wifi no funciona por un problema técnico.

Why is it el wifi and not la wifi?

In Spain, both el wifi and la wifi can be heard, but el wifi is very common and completely natural.

Why the variation? Because wifi is a borrowed word, so speakers do not always assign it the same gender. Many people use el because they treat it like a masculine technology word, similar to el internet or el router. Others use la wifi, sometimes thinking of an underlying feminine noun like la conexión or la red.

For a learner, el wifi is a safe and very common choice in Spain.

Why does Spanish use funciona here?

Spanish uses funcionar for machines, systems, devices, services, apps, and connections when they work / are working properly.

So:

• El wifi funciona. = The wifi works.
• El wifi no funciona. = The wifi doesn’t work.

You would not normally use trabajar here, because trabajar means to work in the sense of a person doing a job. A machine or service usually funciona, not trabaja.

Why is it no funciona and not something like funciona no?

In Spanish, no normally goes directly before the verb.

So:

• no funciona = does not work

This is the standard word order:

• El wifi no funciona.

Putting no after the verb would be incorrect in normal Spanish.