Perdón por la molestia, pero el ascensor sigue averiado.

Breakdown of Perdón por la molestia, pero el ascensor sigue averiado.

pero
but
por
for
el ascensor
the elevator
averiado
broken
seguir
to remain
perdón
sorry
la molestia
the nuisance

Questions & Answers about Perdón por la molestia, pero el ascensor sigue averiado.

Why does the sentence start with Perdón instead of Lo siento?

Both can express an apology, but Perdón is very common in short notices and service messages.

  • Perdón = Sorry / Pardon
  • Lo siento = I’m sorry

In this kind of public-facing message, Perdón por la molestia sounds natural and standard.
It is a brief, polite apology for inconvenience.


Why is it por la molestia?

The preposition por is used to mean for in apologies like this:

  • Perdón por la demora = Sorry for the delay
  • Perdón por el error = Sorry for the mistake
  • Perdón por la molestia = Sorry for the inconvenience

So por links the apology to the cause of the apology.


Why is it la molestia in the singular? Could it be las molestias?

Yes, both are possible, but they are used a little differently.

  • Perdón por la molestia = Sorry for the inconvenience
  • Perdón por las molestias = Sorry for the inconveniences / Sorry for any inconvenience caused

In notices and customer-service language, las molestias is extremely common.
But la molestia is also correct and sounds like referring to the inconvenience as one general situation.

So this sentence is perfectly natural.


What exactly does molestia mean here?

Here, molestia does not mean someone is being “molested” or anything like that in English.
In Spanish, molestia often means:

  • inconvenience
  • nuisance
  • trouble
  • annoyance

So Perdón por la molestia is a standard way to say Sorry for the inconvenience.


Why is there a pero in the middle?

Pero means but. It connects the apology to the bad news:

  • Perdón por la molestia = Sorry for the inconvenience
  • pero el ascensor sigue averiado = but the elevator is still out of order

It softens the message a little by apologizing first, then giving the unpleasant information.


Why is it el ascensor and not just ascensor?

In Spanish, nouns usually need an article more often than in English.

So Spanish normally says:

  • el ascensor
  • la puerta
  • el baño

where English might sometimes just say:

  • elevator
  • door
  • bathroom

In this sentence, el ascensor means the elevator.


Is ascensor the normal word for elevator in Spain?

Yes. In Spain, ascensor is the standard word for elevator.

In much of Latin America, you may also hear elevador.
A learner focusing on Spain should definitely know that ascensor is the usual choice there.


What does sigue averiado mean literally?

Literally, sigue averiado means something like:

  • continues damaged
  • remains broken
  • is still out of order

The key structure is:

Examples:

  • sigue abierto = it’s still open
  • sigue cerrado = it’s still closed
  • sigue enfermo = he’s still ill
  • sigue averiado = it’s still broken / still out of order

So sigue adds the idea of continuation.


Why use sigue averiado instead of just está averiado?

Both are correct, but they mean slightly different things.

  • Está averiado = It is broken / out of order
  • Sigue averiado = It is still broken / out of order

So sigue emphasizes that the problem has not been fixed yet.
That is often exactly what a notice wants to communicate.


What does averiado mean, and how is it different from roto or estropeado?

Averiado usually means:

  • broken
  • out of order
  • not functioning properly

It is especially common for machines, appliances, or technical things.

Comparison:

  • averiado → malfunctioning, out of order
  • roto → broken physically
  • estropeado → spoiled, damaged, broken

For an elevator, averiado is a very natural choice because it suggests a mechanical fault, not necessarily visible physical damage.


Why is it averiado and not averiada?

Because averiado agrees with ascensor.

Examples:

  • el ascensor averiado
  • la puerta averiada
  • los ascensores averiados
  • las puertas averiadas

This is standard adjective agreement in Spanish.


Why isn’t there a subject pronoun before sigue?

Spanish often leaves out subject pronouns when they are clear from the context.

Here, the subject is obviously el ascensor, so you do not need él:

  • el ascensor sigue averiado = correct
  • el ascensor él sigue averiado = wrong

Spanish normally avoids unnecessary subject pronouns.


Is Perdón por la molestia, pero el ascensor sigue averiado one sentence or two?

It works as one sentence joined by a comma and pero, but the first part is slightly elliptical.

  • Perdón por la molestia is a short apology formula.
  • Then pero el ascensor sigue averiado gives the reason/problem.

This kind of compact structure is very common in notices, signs, emails, and customer-service messages.


Could this sentence sound natural in a sign or notice?

Yes, absolutely. It sounds like something you might read in:

  • an apartment building
  • a hotel
  • an office building
  • a shopping centre

It is polite, clear, and very natural for a written notice in Spain.

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