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PhrasesRoom ProblemsLa televisione non funziona.
A1formal

La televisione non funziona.

The television is not working.

Pronunciation

te-le-vi-SIO-ne — five syllables, stress on the fourth.

When to use it

Report this to reception if the TV is important to you. Staff can usually fix it quickly — often it is just an HDMI or input issue.

What it means

'Televisione' = television. Italians also use 'TV' (pronounced 'ti-vù') informally. 'Non funziona' is the universal Italian complaint phrase. TV problems are usually minor and fixable by staff without needing a technician.

Variations

Non riesco ad accendere la TV.

I cannot turn on the TV.

The problem may be the remote battery or an incorrect input setting

La TV non ha il telecomando.

The TV does not have a remote.

Report a missing remote — reception will provide one

Non c'è segnale sulla TV.

There is no signal on the TV.

A satellite or aerial disconnection — requires a technician

Mini Dialogue

— La televisione non funziona. Premo il tasto ma non si accende. — Può controllare se il cavo è collegato dietro alla TV? — Ah, era staccato. Ora funziona. — Ottimo! Scusi per il disagio.

— The television is not working. I press the button but it does not turn on. — Can you check if the cable is connected behind the TV? — Ah, it was disconnected. Now it works. — Excellent! Sorry for the inconvenience.

Cultural Note

Italian hotel TVs often have multiple HDMI inputs and the signal may be on the wrong input. Staff are accustomed to solving this by phone. Italian TV has both free channels (RAI 1, 2, 3 and Mediaset) and satellite channels — ask if you cannot find the channels you want.