Introduction
This article teaches English-speaking learners how to say the phrase the remote is not working in Brazilian Portuguese. You will learn useful vocabulary, common variations, polite ways to ask for help, short dialogues for real situations, and quick pronunciation tips. All examples use practical language you can start using today.
- Key vocabulary and basic sentence
- Alternative ways to say it
- Adding more detail: battery, signal, pairing
- How to ask for help politely
- Common mini-dialogues for real situations
- Pronunciation tips
- Usage notes and cultural tips
- Common follow-up phrases
- Short troubleshooting script
- How to describe replacement or repair
- Useful short phrases to memorize
- Putting it all together: practical examples
- Conclusion
Key vocabulary and basic sentence
Start with the core vocabulary you need to express that a remote control is not working.
o controle remoto — the remote control
não funciona — does not work / is not working
está com problema — has a problem
The simplest way to say the idea is:
o controle remoto não funciona
Word-by-word breakdown
Break the sentence into parts for clarity.
o — the (masculine singular definite article)
controle — control
remoto — remote (adjective that follows the noun in Portuguese)
não — not
funciona — works / functions (third-person singular of funcionar)
Put them together: o controle remoto não funciona
Alternative ways to say it
Brazilian Portuguese has several common alternatives depending on tone, formality, and region. Learn these variants to sound natural.
Short and casual
o controle não está funcionando — the control is not working (present continuous, common spoken form)
o controle não funciona is direct, while o controle não está funcionando emphasizes ongoing malfunction.
With the verb dar problema
o controle está dando problema — the remote is giving a problem / is acting up
This is informal and frequently heard among friends and family.
Polite and helpful forms
o controle está com problema — the remote has a problem
o controle está estragado — the remote is broken (estragado is stronger: broken/damaged)
Adding more detail: battery, signal, pairing
Common issues with remotes are batteries, signal problems, or lost pairing. These phrases help you specify the cause.
Battery issues
as pilhas acabaram — the batteries ran out
as pilhas estão fracas — the batteries are weak
Examples:
o controle não funciona porque as pilhas acabaram
o controle está com pilhas fracas
Signal or line of sight
o sinal não está chegando — the signal is not getting through
o controle não está pegando — the remote is not picking up / not reaching the device
Examples:
o controle não funciona, talvez o sinal não esteja chegando
o controle não está pegando, tem algo bloqueando a frente da TV
Pairing or Bluetooth remotes
o controle não está pareado — the remote is not paired
o controle perdeu a conexão — the remote lost the connection
Examples:
se for controle Bluetooth, pode ser que o controle não esteja pareado
o controle perdeu a conexão com a TV
How to ask for help politely
When asking someone for help, use polite phrases to sound natural and respectful.
Simple polite requests
você pode me ajudar? — can you help me?
você pode verificar o controle? — can you check the remote?
Combine with the problem:
o controle remoto não está funcionando, você pode me ajudar?
When asking a technician or store employee
o controle está com problema, vocês consertam? — the remote has a problem, do you repair them?
tem como trocar as pilhas aqui? — can you replace the batteries here?
Common mini-dialogues for real situations
Short dialogues show how these phrases appear naturally. Use them as blueprints when speaking.
At home with a family member
A: o controle não está funcionando
B: já trocou as pilhas?
A: não ainda, vou trocar agora
Asking a neighbor or friend
A: oi, meu controle não pega na TV. você pode testar o seu aqui?
B: claro, deixa eu ver
B: o meu funciona, então pode ser problema de pilha no seu
At a repair shop or store
Client: o controle está com problema, ele não funciona
Employee: posso abrir e verificar? ou quer só trocar as pilhas?
Pronunciation tips
Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation is generally phonetic. Focus on a few points to sound clear when saying these phrases.
Stress and syllables
controle — stress on the second syllable: con-TRO-le
remoto — re-MO-to
funciona — fun-CI-o-na (ci pronounced like s before a vowel)
Common sounds
ão as in não is nasal; pronounce like nan with nasal quality
r at the start of a word is guttural or like an h sound in many Brazilian accents: controle remoto pronounced with a softer r in remoto
s between vowels sounds like z: pilhas — PI-lhas (lh is a palatal lateral similar to the lli in million)
Usage notes and cultural tips
Remotes are a common household topic, so Brazilians often use casual phrasing. Here are practical notes to help you sound natural.
Informal contractions
In speech, people often drop the subject article or shorten phrases.
Example: o controle não funciona might become controle não funciona or simply não tá funcionando in very casual conversation.
Choosing between não funciona and não está funcionando
Use não funciona to state a general fact: the remote does not work (maybe it’s broken). Use não está funcionando to emphasize that right now it is not working — perhaps a temporary issue.
Polite vs. direct
Brazilians are generally informal at home but polite in stores or when asking for official help. Use phrases like você pode me ajudar? or por favor to be polite.
Common follow-up phrases
After stating the problem, these phrases are useful to continue the conversation or describe attempts to fix it.
já tentei trocar as pilhas — I already tried changing the batteries
já reiniciei a TV — I already restarted the TV
tentei apontar o controle direto para a TV — I tried pointing the remote directly at the TV
talvez seja o receptor — maybe it is the receiver
Short troubleshooting script
This quick script helps when trying to fix the remote with someone.
Start: o controle não funciona
Step 1: troca as pilhas
Step 2: reinicia a TV
Step 3: limpa o sensor da TV
Step 4: verifica se o controle está pareado
How to describe replacement or repair
If the remote is beyond simple fixes, these phrases explain replacement or repair options.
precisa consertar — needs to be repaired
tem que trocar — it has to be replaced
onde consertam controles? — where do they repair remotes?
Example: o controle está estragado, precisa consertar ou trocar
Useful short phrases to memorize
Here are compact phrases to memorize for quick use.
não funciona — does not work
não está funcionando — is not working
as pilhas acabaram — the batteries ran out
não está pareado — not paired
o controle está estragado — the remote is broken
Putting it all together: practical examples
Longer real-life sentences you can use directly.
o controle remoto não está funcionando, você pode me emprestar o seu por alguns minutos?
o controle não funciona e as pilhas parecem estar novas, acho que o receptor da televisão está com problema
já troquei as pilhas e reiniciei a TV, mas o controle ainda não funciona
Conclusion
Now you know several natural ways to say the remote is not working in Brazilian Portuguese, from direct statements to polite requests and troubleshooting steps. Practice the vocabulary, try short dialogues, and use the pronunciation tips to sound natural. With these phrases you will handle common household situations with confidence.
