Written by Gabriela Estrada

How to talk to the plombier and the électricien?

You've just moved to Quebec and you're surprised by the state of your new apartment. It's tidy, but there are some breakdowns that you didn't expect, and to fix them you have to communicate in French!

How to tell the plombier that the water is dripping, and how to explain to the electrician that the lights don't turn on? Well, today you will learn how to do it.

In this blog, I will show you how to describe common breakdowns from plumbing problems to electrical faults. Read with me to the end and learn useful phrases to communicate in everyday and urgent situations, even when your French is still improving. Read with me to the end and learn useful phrases to communicate in everyday and urgent situations, even when your French is still improving. Let's get started!

Tour of the house: how to raise the problem

Imagine that you walk into your new kitchen and notice that there's a water leak under the sink! Then, as you enter the bathroom, you discover that the toilet is cloggedand as you check the sink, you see that the drain is clogged the drain is clogged and the water won't go away.

Well, if there is more than one fault, then the best thing to do is to write them down in a list. In this action, it is important that you are clear about the grammar and vocabulary. grammar and associated vocabulary. associated.

• To write that there is a water leak under the sink!use this phrase: Il y a une fuite d'eau sous l'évier!
• The toilet is clogged: la toilette est bouchée -this expression is very common in Quebec-.
• If the water faucet in the bathroom leakswrite: le robinet de la salle de bain coule/fuit.
• To communicate that the sink drain is clogged or blocked and the water does not drain, write le drain du lavabo est bloqué et l'eau ne s'écoule pas.

Practice writing these sentences in case you need to explain to the plumber what is going on in every corner of your house.

Cultural advice in Quebec: if you live in an apartment, you'll probably call your landlord (propriétaire) or the concierge (concierge). If you use the term "bouchée" (clogged) for a toilet, people will understand you perfectly well.

Electrical problems: electricity service call

Now imagine that the problem is electrical and you can't wait. In this case, you need to call the electrical service immediately and you have to speak in French, so you must be able to structure your message well, as well as be clear in your pronunciation:

These short, direct phrases will help you explain the urgency without beating around the bush.

It starts like this:

• There is a short circuit in the [Device] : [Device] : [Device] : [Device] : [Device] : [Device] : [Device: Il y a un short-circuit dans le [Appareil] .. The plug is sparking! la prise fait des étincelles.
• ¡It's urgent! C'est urgent!

• Could you please send someone to repair it as soon as possible: Pourriez-vous envoyer quelqu'un pour réparer ça le plus tôt possible?

Electrical problems that can wait and you should schedule a visit.

• The light of the [Room] does not turn on: la lumière de la [Pièce] ne s'allume pas.
• A fuse has blown/the circuit breaker tripped: un fuse a sauté/The circuit breaker has blown.
• Plug/outlet does not work does not work (o sparks): la prise ne marche pas (or fait des étincelles).

• I am available Monday morning: Je suis disponible lundi matin.

• How long will it take to the repair? Combien de temps ça va prendre à réparer?

With these expressions, you will be able to communicate with the electrician and he will understand you perfectly to solve the problems.

Quick trivia!

Select the word according to the context:

1. Toilet clogged 

1. a) The toilette
2. b) Bouchée
3. c) The robinet

1. Light does not turn on 

1. a) The light
2. b) Le drain

1. Heater damaged 

1. a) The chauffeur
2. b) La prise

Learn languages with Planeta Immiland Education

Planeta Immiland Education is our immigration language school for Canada. We teach English and French based on the standards of the CLB (Canadian Language Benchmarks)which measure your level of language proficiency in real life situations in Canada.

We offer French courses from level Débutant (A1, beginner) to Intermédiaire (B2), which will help you to manage with confidence in everyday contexts such as the ones we have just described.

If you want to start your language with us, contact us at and we will be happy to help you with whatever you need.

Do you already know your level of French? We invite you to take our free test and find out where you are. The results are immediate and at the end you will know which course you can start with.

I hope this topic will be useful. Thanks for reading, see you in the next blog!

With love, 

Planeta Immiland Education