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No Jala, SeDescompuso, Está Goteando:Mexican Spanish forRepairs

No Jala, Se Descompuso, Está Goteando: Mexican Spanish for Repairs

Jun 3, 2026 4 min read

Learn Mexican Spanish for repair visits: no jala, se descompuso, está goteando, hace ruido, huele raro, técnico, and arreglar.

Quick Answer

  • For repairs in Mexico, describe the function problem: no jala, no prende, no sale agua, está goteando, hace ruido, or huele raro.
  • Se descompuso means it broke or stopped working. Arreglar means to fix. Técnico is a repair technician.
  • If you do not know the object name, describe what it does: el aparato del agua caliente, la cosa del gas, la llave del lavabo.
  • Ask for timing clearly: ¿cuándo puede venir?, ¿a qué hora llega?, and ¿cuánto cuesta la revisión?

What You'll Learn

  • How to explain a broken thing without knowing the perfect noun.
  • How to describe leaks, noises, smells, power, gas, and hot water problems.
  • How to ask a technician about timing, cost, parts, and whether it can be fixed.
  • How to avoid vague repair texts that create three follow-up calls.

Repairs are where your Spanish stops being cute and starts needing to describe reality. The thing broke. It drips. It does not turn on. It makes a noise that implies it has secrets.

You need no jala, se descompuso, está goteando, hace ruido, huele raro, and ¿se puede arreglar?

A busy Mexico City street with cars, buses, and pedestrians.
Repair Spanish often starts as a message, then becomes a timing negotiation. Photo from Pexels.

The repair phrase map

Describe what the thing is doing or not doing.

ProblemSay this
It does not workNo jala / no funciona
It brokeSe descompuso
It does not turn onNo prende
It dripsEstá goteando
It makes noiseHace ruido
It smells weirdHuele raro
Can it be fixed?¿Se puede arreglar?
How much to check it?¿Cuánto cuesta la revisión?

Arreglar means to fix or arrange,1 and descomponer is the verb behind se descompuso.2

If you do not know the object name

This is the real learner problem. You do not know the word for the little round metal thing under the sink. Fine.

Describe function and place:

  • La llave del lavabo está goteando.
    The sink faucet is dripping.
  • El aparato del agua caliente no prende.
    The hot water device does not turn on.
  • La cosa del gas huele raro.
    The gas thing smells weird.

Ugly Spanish that identifies the problem is better than elegant silence.

People standing near storefronts and street vendors in Mexico City.
Local repair language is practical: what broke, where it is, when someone can come, and whether parts are needed. Photo by Carl Campbell on Unsplash.

Técnico, revisión, and timing

Técnico can refer to a technician or technical specialist.3 A repair visit may start with a revisión, basically a check.

Ask:

NeedPhrase
When can you come?¿Cuándo puede venir?
What time?¿A qué hora puede pasar?
Checkup cost¿Cuánto cuesta la revisión?
Repair cost¿Cuánto sale arreglarlo?
Need parts?¿Necesita alguna pieza?
Finished?¿Ya quedó?

Noise and smell are useful details

Ruido means noise,4 and oler is the verb for smelling.5 If something makes noise or smells strange, say it.

  • Hace un ruido raro cuando prende.
    It makes a strange noise when it turns on.
  • Huele raro cerca del boiler.
    It smells weird near the water heater.
  • No lo quiero usar hasta que lo revisen.
    I do not want to use it until they check it.

If you smell gas or suspect danger, stop treating this as vocabulary practice. Ventilate if appropriate, leave if needed, and contact the relevant building or emergency help.

People sitting at tables outside a bookstore cafe in Mexico City.
The repair text is often written from somewhere else, where the Wi-Fi works and the broken thing cannot hurt your feelings. Photo by Dick Hoogerdijk on Unsplash.

A complete repair text

Copy the structure:

  • Hola, la lavadora se descompuso. No prende desde ayer. ¿Cuándo puede venir un técnico a revisarla?
    Hi, the washing machine broke. It has not turned on since yesterday. When can a technician come check it?

Problem, symptom, timing, ask. That is the repair message. Everything else can wait.

Home Depot México’s repair guidance uses everyday repair language around fugas de agua, valves, toilets, and tools, which is exactly the vocabulary hidden inside a boring maintenance text.6

Sources

  1. Diccionario de la lengua española, arreglar — Real Academia Española ↩

  2. Diccionario de la lengua española, descomponer — Real Academia Española ↩

  3. Diccionario de la lengua española, técnico — Real Academia Española ↩

  4. Diccionario de la lengua española, ruido — Real Academia Española ↩

  5. Diccionario de la lengua española, oler — Real Academia Española ↩

  6. The Home Depot México Blog, cómo hacer reparaciones de plomería — The Home Depot México ↩

Test yourself

tap an answer.

The washing machine stopped working. What can you say?

You do not know the name of the thing. What should you do?

How do you ask whether it can be fixed?

Don't sound gringo

When something breaks, don't overtalk it. Name the symptom first — no jala, se descompuso, está goteando — then add when it started.

FAQ

What does no jala mean in Mexican Spanish?

No jala means it does not work. It is casual and common in Mexico.

What does se descompuso mean?

Se descompuso means it broke, stopped working, or became faulty.

How do you say can you fix it in Spanish?

Say ¿lo puede arreglar? or ¿se puede arreglar?

How do I ask when a technician can come?

Say ¿cuándo puede venir? or ¿a qué hora puede pasar?

How do you say it is making noise?

Say hace ruido.

How do you say it smells strange?

Say huele raro. If you smell gas, treat it as urgent and get help immediately.

How do I ask the cost of a repair check?

Say ¿cuánto cuesta la revisión? or ¿cuánto cobra por revisar?

Words in this post

chafa — Mexican Spanish for Cheap. Crappy. Low-rent.
chamba — Mexican Spanish for Work. Job. The grind.
¡no manches! — Mexican Spanish for No way. Are you serious. Oh come on.
sale — Mexican Spanish for Cool. Deal. Sounds good.

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