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Improve your vocabulary! 18 ways to say something is broken in English
Technology can be annoying, especially when it’s not working properly. In this video, I teach you a multitude of ways to talk about broken-down tech in English! You’ll learn words likebusted, toast, fried, buggy, defective, and temperamental. You’ll also learn fixed English sentences like “It’s acting up” and “It’s on the fritz.” The next time you want to complain about your phone, computer, or random piece of office machinery, you’ll be able to sound more natural and you’ll be able to say more than just “It’s not working.”
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86 COMMENTS
Thank you teacher Alex for this excelent lesson!
My pleasure. Thank you for studying with me.
Thank you Alex for the good lesson.
You’re very welcome. Good luck to you in the new year.
Merci Alex. Je ne suis pas encore totalement “hors course” (dead, finished, missed, …) en anglais, grâce à toi.
J’espere que tu vas continuer ameliore tout les journees! :) Happy new year!
Many thanks, it’s a fruitful lesson. ?
You’re very welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed it. :)
Thank you Mr. Alex for a good lesson. These metaphors can help greatly to increase one’s vocabulary. Now I can say “…my internet connection is being temperamental”.
Exactly! :) Internet connections can be very emotional.
I would have thought you would use phrases like:
‘the computer was knackered’
SYNONYMS
broken, damaged, faulty, defective, unsound
not working, not functioning, non-functioning, malfunctioning, in disrepair, inoperative, out of commission, out of order, not in working order, broken-down, out of kilter, down.
Even phrases like: on the blink, or words like “Buggered” & my favourite, “Pakarued”.
“Knackered” is great too! I was using my North American bias, as that word in particular is more common in the UK.
I had a cellphone in which the software came with a good english dictionary, but in the measured that time was going away, the software started to buggy and was going away together as well, the dictionary. In a beautiful day I decided that that cellphone was dead. So, I bought a new.
Thanks for these new words Alex.
You’re welcome! Thanks for checking out the lesson. Just one note: “buggy” is an adjective, not a verb. You can say “The software was buggy” or “the software started to be buggy.”
Thanks Mr Alex it’s completely very simple with me.
No problem, Muad. I’m glad it was easy to understand.
Thanks a lot:)
Your lessons are very simple and clear.thanks
You’re very welcome. Thanks for studying with EngVid, Fatima. :)
the lesson is very usefully, I usually saw the sentence in this clip when I see movies and read paper on internet. Thank Alex
You’re welcome! Just a reminder that “usefully” is an adverb, which means you usually use it after a verb. You were looking for the adjective “useful” in your first sentence.
“The lesson is very useful.” :) Have a great day!
Thank you Alex(90)
Nice job! I’m glad the lesson was beneficial for you.
Thank you Mr Alex.
Thanks, it was an amazing video. Now I can express my disappointment with electronics devices.
When I was a kid, my sister and I were playing games for hours until the computer was fried.
That happened to my Nintendo when I was a kid.
100 :). Thank you so much Alex!
Awesome job as always, Annie! My pleasure. :) Have a great day and a happy new year!
Thanks, Alex.
Thank you teacher Alex for this very excelent lesson!
Thank you so much
Teacher Alex,
I am so glad I have found engVid! I need to improve the English I learnt when I was in the capital of Mexico. BTW, at that time my teacher was a canadian citizen
God bless you!
Thank you Alex for your effort, wishing you grateful festive season:)
Being honest, I hate new technologies. As you said, they´re making us slaves. We think we lose a loved one when our phone is done.
Thanks for your lesson, Alex!!
Was a wonderful lesson, thank u!
Hi, Alex, thank you so much for your videos, but especially for this one, with words in everyday life. Happy new year with health, peace, love and everything you deserve.
Hi Alex, thanks for the lesson!
Great lesson, I appreciate!
Thanks so much for helping me understand
I have a problem Akex. “job of 23 years”, “10 years of experience” I see this kind of expressions. Which one is true? Do we say the number or the word first? Could you please explain?
I have a problem Akex. “job of 23 years”, “10 years of experience” I see this kind of expressions. Which one is true? Do we say the number or the word first? Could you please explain?
It’s very nice and very easy
Wow. This lesson is so interesting for me.
Good learning! Thanks Alex for the lesson on vocabulary.
it’s so interesting for me, thanks teacher Alex for this lesson, it’s so interesting for me “happy new year.
Nice lesson alex. It help to improve english skill
Nice lesson alex. It help to improve english skill.
thank you ms
Hello, thank you very much for this great lesson ^^ .. i’m just wondering whether we can say “it’s toasted” just like “it’s busted” instead of “it’s toast” ?
and Thank you again Mr Alex :)
You’re ever so clear, intresting. You explain very well the new vocabulary. I’m very fond of your courses.It’s not so easy to remember but I’ll try to use these new words. Many thanks to you.
Thank you, teacher….!!
this lesson is very useful.
Thanks Alex for good lesson. You may surprise about me, because I’m New one here. I would like to participate into this community.
Well this is the first time that I watch your class and I thought it very interesting,I got to understand you very well. Thanks!!!
Happy New Year! Alex, this lesson is very good.
I’m so sad:).. I recognize and love the lesson but I mixed up in last question between 1 and 2 so I got 9 up to 10
thank you sir
9/10 thank you sir so wonderful lesson
Thank you so much, Alex. I am learning a lot of new information with your lessons.
Thank you for this lesson.
Thank you for this excellent lesson. I got it
Thank you for this excellent lesson. I got it
Thank you so much. Good to know
one more lessons. thanks Alex
Thank you so much
Very good lesson. I have learn many news vobulary.
you are a big teacher. Thanks to you so much.
It is a spectacular lesson. Thank you so mush.
Thanks Alex!
Great lesson.
Best regards!
Thank you!!))
Thank you, Alex, for your classes!
I’m a lucky guy because my computer has not messed up in the last year.
See you soon!
thank you alex for this lesson
Many thanks, it’s an excellent lesson. ?
Thank you!!
thank you from Kazakhstan
thank you Alex for that great efforts
Thanks for these valuable handy tips, Alex.
See you soon
thank you :)
Thank you.
You’re an amazing teacher Alex! So simply and natural. Make us felling really comfortable while learning. Congrats and many thanks for that ???
Thank You Mr Alex, it was wonderful learning session.
Thank you Sir Alex<3
Thank you, Alex, for the useful lesson!
6/10
Thank you Alex. (Kazakhstan, 08 october2021);
i’m taking steps towards improving my english
10/10 second prompt
Alex,hi from Kazakhstan 21 Nov2021
Thank you Alex