English–Chinese
“not working” in Chinese
Chinese
Pronunciation
Pinyinbù tōng
Example
网络不通，我们上不了网。wǎng luò bù tōng wǒ men shàng bù liǎo wǎng
The internet isn't working, so we can't get online.
How to say “not working” in Chinese
“Not working” in Chinese is 不通 (bù tōng).
A route, connection, or message is blocked, so nothing passes from one side to the other.
Example sentences with 不通
由于暴雪，通信线路不通，居民无法上网和打电话。yóu yú bào xuě tōng xìn xiàn lù bù tōng jū mín wú fǎ shàng wǎng hé dǎ diàn huà
Due to the heavy snow, the communication lines are down, so residents cannot access the internet or make phone calls.
Tips for using 不通
- English speakers often describe a failed connection with a verb such as "drop" or "go down," while Chinese can keep the same adjective after the channel name for a compact status report.