fuera de servicio
/fweɾa de seɾbiθjo/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "off work" is fuera de servicio.
Used to describe a piece of equipment or a vehicle that is not currently operating or available for use.
Which one should you use?
While 'off work' in English can refer to a person's employment status, fuera de servicio is used specifically for machines, vehicles or systems that are non-functional.
How do you pronounce it?
/fweɾa de seɾbiθjo/
Did you know?
- If a Spanish speaker says a machine is 'fuera de combate', they are using a military metaphor for 'off work' that implies the object is 'out of combat'.
- The word fuera in this phrase shares an ancient root with the English word 'door', as both trace back to the idea of a threshold or an opening.
- While fuera de servicio describes a broken machine, saying 'estoy fuera de servicio' might lead a person to think you are a broken robot rather than just someone not at work.
Examples in context
- El ascensor está fuera de servicio.The elevator is out of service.
- Toda la maquinaria está fuera de servicio hoy.All the machinery is out of service today.
- El camión sigue fuera de servicio por la avería.The truck is still out of service due to the breakdown.
Example conversation
Javier and María are in a warehouse checking equipment.
- Javier¿Está listo el montacargas, María?Is the forklift ready, María?
- MaríaNo, Javier, está fuera de servicio.No, Javier, it is out of service.
- JavierQué mal, necesitamos usarlo ahora.That's bad, we need to use it now.
- MaríaLlamaré al técnico para que lo repare.I will call the technician to repair it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry fuera de servicio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, fuera, servicio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
