Breakdown of O elevador não trabalha outra vez.
não
not / no
trabalhar
to work
outra vez
again
o elevador
the lift, the elevator
Questions & Answers about O elevador não trabalha outra vez.
Why does the translation say "is not working" when trabalha is in the simple present tense?
In Portuguese, the simple present tense is often used to describe something happening right now. You could use the continuous form (não está a trabalhar), but the simple present (não trabalha) is perfectly natural and common for this kind of situation.
Can I use trabalhar for machines? I thought it was just for people doing a job.
You can! While you will often see the verb funcionar used for machines, systems, and electronics, European Portuguese very commonly uses trabalhar when talking about mechanical things like an elevator, a car engine, or a fridge.
Why does this sentence use outra vez instead of de novo?
Why is it outra vez with an "a" at the end instead of outro vez?
The word vez (meaning time or instance) is a feminine noun in Portuguese. Because adjectives must agree with the gender of the nouns they describe, you must use the feminine form outra to match it.
Learn O elevador não trabalha outra vez and more in Portuguese
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free