el váter está atascado
/el bateɾ esta ataskado/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'the toilet is clogged' is translated into Spanish as el váter está atascado.
Meaning: the toilet is clogged (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The adjective atascado literally means clogged or stuck.
Which one should you use?
You may also use el váter está obstruido to describe a blockage more formally or the informal phrase el baño está tapado.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Venezuela and some parts of Central America, the phrase El sanitario está tapado. is used to convey that the toilet is clogged.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because váter is a masculine noun, the adjective must be used in its masculine form, atascado, rather than the feminine atascada.
Did you know?
- The term váter might sound like a standard Spanish word, but it is actually a 'pseudo-anglicism' that entered the language through French. It is a shortened version of the English term 'water closet'.
- The word atascado shares the same root as atasco, which is the Spanish word for a 'traffic jam'.
- While váter is a common way to refer to the fixture in Spain, using it in many Latin American countries might make you sound like a foreigner or someone using outdated language. In those regions, people typically prefer terms like inodoro or sanitario.
Examples in context
- El inodoro está obstruido con papel higiénicoThe toilet is clogged with toilet paper
- Disculpe, pero el inodoro está obstruido. ¿Podría enviar a alguien para solucionarlo, por favor?Excuse me, but the toilet is clogged. Could you send someone to fix it, please?
- ¡Ay, mamá! Se tapó el baño otra vez. ¿Puedes arreglarlo?Oh, mom! The toilet is clogged again. Can you fix it?
- Oye, el water está atascado, ¿tienes algún desatascador?Hey, the toilet is clogged, do you have a plunger?
- No puedo usarlo porque el váter está atascado.I can't use it because the toilet is clogged.
- ¡Ayuda! El váter está atascado de nuevo.Help! The toilet is clogged again.
Example conversation
A couple is in their bathroom at home.
- LucíaAlejandro, creo que el váter está atascado.Alejandro, I think the toilet is clogged.
- Alejandro¿Segura? No lo he usado yo.Are you sure? I haven't used it.
- LucíaSí, el agua no baja.Yes, the water isn't going down.
- AlejandroVoy a buscar el desatascador ahora mismo.I'm going to look for the plunger right now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries atascado, el, váter, CC BY-SA 4.0.
