Introduction
This article helps English-speaking learners of Brazilian Portuguese say the sink is not working in natural, polite, and practical ways. You will learn common phrases, vocabulary for plumbing issues, short dialogues for landlords or repair technicians, and useful tips for pronunciation and context. Practical examples focus on everyday situations in a home, apartment building, or restaurant.
- Basic phrase to say the sink is not working
- Alternative ways to say it
- Polite requests for help
- Short dialogues for real situations
- Useful vocabulary related to sinks and plumbing
- Pronunciation tips and stress patterns
- Usage notes: estar vs ser and gender agreement
- Common follow-up questions you might hear
- What to expect when a professional comes
- Regional variations and polite registers
- Quick reference cheat sheet
- Conclusion
Basic phrase to say the sink is not working
Start with a simple, direct sentence you can use when you need immediate help. The most straightforward way to report a broken sink is:
A pia não está funcionando.
Use this when you need to inform someone quickly, such as a neighbor, building manager, or maintenance person. It is clear, polite, and grammatically neutral.
Breakdown of the phrase
Understanding each word helps you adapt the sentence to other situations.
A = the (feminine singular article for pia).
pia = sink (used in homes and kitchens).
não = not (negation).
está = is (third person singular form of estar, used for temporary states).
funcionando = working (present participle of funcionar).
Alternative ways to say it
Different expressions sound more casual, more formal, or more specific about the problem. Choose the one that matches your context.
Casual
A pia não está dando conta.
This is colloquial and means the sink is not handling the job, often used when the sink drains slowly or has low pressure.
Formal / polite
A pia está com problema.
Use this with landlords or building staff; it is slightly more formal and implies there is a problem needing attention.
Specific problems
Be specific when possible. Here are common variations:
A pia está entupida.
Use this when the sink is clogged and not draining.
A pia está vazando.
Use this when there is a leak.
A água não está descendo.
Use this to say the water is not going down the drain.
O ralo está entupido.
O ralo means the drain; useful if the blockage is in the drain specifically.
Polite requests for help
When asking for assistance, it is good to be polite. Here are phrases to ask for help from a neighbor, landlord, or technician.
Você pode dar uma olhada na pia, por favor?
Use this to ask someone if they can take a look. It is polite and commonly used.
Você pode consertar a pia, por favor?
Ask this when you want someone to repair the sink.
Tem como arrumar a pia hoje?
Use this to ask if it is possible to fix the sink today. It is slightly informal but polite.
When contacting a landlord or maintenance
Use clear and slightly formal language when sending messages or emails. Start with a greeting, explain the issue, and provide details like location and urgency.
Example message:
Bom dia,
A pia da cozinha não está funcionando. A água não desce e está ficando acumulada. Poderiam enviar alguém para consertar hoje, por favor?
Obrigado.
Short dialogues for real situations
Short dialogs help you practice how these phrases appear naturally in conversation. Read them aloud to practice rhythm and intonation.
Dialogue with a neighbor
Neighbor: Oi, tudo bem?
You: Oi, tudo bem. A pia do meu banheiro não está funcionando. Você pode dar uma olhada?
Neighbor: Claro, vou ver agora.
Dialogue with building maintenance
You: Boa tarde, a pia da cozinha está entupida.
Maintenance: Quando percebeu?
You: Percebi hoje de manhã e a água não está descendo.
Maintenance: Tudo bem, vamos enviar alguém ainda hoje.
Calling a professional plumber
You: Olá, preciso de um encanador. A pia do apartamento não está funcionando.
Plumber: Qual é o problema?
You: A pia está entupida e a água está vazando por baixo do armário.
Plumber: Entendi. Posso ir aí às três horas.
Useful vocabulary related to sinks and plumbing
Knowing specific nouns and verbs helps you explain the problem more clearly. First use of each term is bolded.
pia – sink (kitchen or bathroom)
roupa – clothing (not related but keep context)
ralo – drain
torneira – faucet
vazamento – leak
entupido – clogged
desentupidor – plunger
encaixe – fitting, joint
canalização – plumbing/pipework
enquanto – while (useful connector)
consertar – to repair
trocar – to replace
manutenção – maintenance
encontrar – to find
Common verbs and how to use them
funcionar – to work. Example: A pia não está funcionando.
entupir / estar entupido – to clog / to be clogged. Example: O ralo entupiu or O ralo está entupido.
vazar / estar vazando – to leak / to be leaking. Example: A pia está vazando.
descer – to go down (used for water). Example: A água não está descendo.
Pronunciation tips and stress patterns
Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation is important for being understood. Keep these simple tips in mind.
Pronounce pia as pee-ah, with two clear syllables. Stress is usually on the first syllable, but the vowel sounds are quick.
Ralo sounds like hah-loo in many Brazilian accents; the r is a soft h-like sound in the beginning of words for most Brazilians.
Torneira sounds like tor-nay-rah, with the stress on nay. The r in the middle is a tapped r or soft r depending on region.
Entupida sounds like en-too-pee-dah, stress on pee. For feminine agreement use entupida for pia and entupido for masculine nouns like cano.
Usage notes: estar vs ser and gender agreement
Use estar for temporary states or conditions. Because a sink being broken is usually temporary, use está rather than é. For example, A pia não está funcionando is correct, while A pia não é funcionando is incorrect.
Match adjectives to the gender of the noun. Pia is feminine, so use entupida, consertada, and vazando in a way that agrees when needed. For a masculine noun like cano use entupido.
Common follow-up questions you might hear
When you report the problem, you may hear these quick questions. Practice the answers so you can respond naturally.
Desde quando?
When did it start? Answer with a time frame: Desde ontem, desde de manhã, or agora de manhã.
Está vazando?
Is it leaking? Answer: Sim, está vazando por baixo or Não, só está entupida.
Você já tentou desentupir?
Have you tried to unclog it? Answer: Sim, com um desentupidor or Não, não tentei.
What to expect when a professional comes
When you hire a plumber or the building sends maintenance, the conversation often includes inspection, diagnosis, and an estimate. Here are useful phrases to understand and use.
Vou verificar o ralo e a canalização.
I will check the drain and the pipes.
Parece que precisa trocar a torneira.
It seems you need to replace the faucet.
O serviço vai levar cerca de uma hora.
The job will take about an hour.
O preço inclui peças e mão de obra.
The price includes parts and labor.
Regional variations and polite registers
Language use can vary by region. In urban centers like São Paulo and Rio, direct phrases are common and acceptable. In more formal or rural settings, people may use more polite particles like por favor or senhor/senhora when addressing someone older.
For polite registers, add senhor or senhora and por favor: Senhor, a pia não está funcionando, por favor.
Quick reference cheat sheet
Keep these short lines in mind for quick use.
A pia não está funcionando.
A pia está entupida.
A pia está vazando.
Você pode dar uma olhada na pia, por favor?
Conclusion
These phrases and examples will help you report and discuss sink problems in Brazilian Portuguese with confidence. Use the simple sentence A pia não está funcionando for immediate communication, and choose more specific expressions like A pia está entupida or A pia está vazando when needed. Politeness, clear vocabulary, and a few pronunciation tips will make interactions with neighbors, landlords, or plumbers smoother and faster.
