EFE learning modules / Repairs, Maintenance & Utilities

Repairs, Maintenance & Utilities

Common Expressions Back to Catalog

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On the fritz

/ኦን ዘ ፍሪትዝ/

ተበላሽቷል

Broken or not working properly

በአግባቡ የማይሰራ ወይም የተበላሸ

In Practice

"The refrigerator is on the fritz again."

"I can't finish the report because my laptop is on the fritz."

Fluent Tip

Used when an appliance or machine is malfunctioning intermittently.

Blow a fuse

/ብሎው ኤ ፊውዝ/

ፊውዝ መቃጠል ወይም በጣም መቆጣት

To lose one's temper or for an electrical circuit to break

በጣም መቆጣት ወይም የኤሌክትሪክ መስመር መቆረጥ

In Practice

"If you plug in the heater, you might blow a fuse."

"The boss blew a fuse when he saw the repair bill."

Fluent Tip

Can be used literally for electricity or figuratively for anger.

Wear and tear

/ዌር ኤንድ ቴር/

በአገልግሎት ምክንያት የሚመጣ መዛለል

Damage that naturally occurs from ordinary use

በመደበኛ አጠቃቀም ምክንያት የሚመጣ ጉዳት

In Practice

"The carpet shows some wear and tear after five years."

"Maintenance helps prevent excessive wear and tear on the pipes."

Fluent Tip

Common in rental agreements and maintenance discussions.

Down the drain

/ዳውን ዘ ድሬን/

በከንቱ መፍሰስ ወይም መጥፋት

Wasted or lost completely

ሙሉ በሙሉ የጠፋ ወይም በከንቱ የባከነ

In Practice

"All that money for the plumber went down the drain when the pipe burst again."

"Our hard work was down the drain after the power outage."

Fluent Tip

Used to describe wasted resources or efforts.

Quick fix

/ክዊክ ፊክስ/

ጊዜያዊ መፍትሄ

A temporary or superficial solution to a problem

ለአንድ ችግር የሚሰጥ ጊዜያዊ ወይም ላዩን የሆነ መፍትሄ

In Practice

"Duct tape is just a quick fix for that leaking pipe."

"We need a permanent solution, not just a quick fix."

Fluent Tip

Often carries a slightly negative connotation of being incomplete.

Out of order

/አውት ኦፍ ኦርደር/

አይሰራም

Not functioning or in use

የማይሰራ ወይም አገልግሎት የማይሰጥ

In Practice

"The elevator is out of order today."

"The vending machine has an 'out of order' sign on it."

Fluent Tip

Standard phrase for broken public utilities or machines.

Back on track

/ባክ ኦን ትራክ/

ወደ ቀድሞው ሁኔታ መመለስ

Returning to the proper or expected course

ወደ ትክክለኛው ወይም ወደ ነበረበት ሁኔታ መመለስ

In Practice

"After the power was restored, the project got back on track."

"We need to get the maintenance schedule back on track."

Fluent Tip

Used when things resume normal operation after an interruption.

Up and running

/አፕ ኤንድ ረኒንግ/

ተስተካክሎ መስራት መጀመር

Functioning correctly again

በአግባቡ በድጋሚ መስራት መጀመር

In Practice

"The water system is finally up and running."

"It took two days, but the server is up and running."

Fluent Tip

Commonly used for systems, websites, or machinery.

In the pipeline

/ኢን ዘ ፓይፕላይን/

በሂደት ላይ ያለ

In the process of being planned or developed

በእቅድ ወይም በዝግጅት ሂደት ላይ ያለ

In Practice

"New upgrades for the electrical grid are in the pipeline."

"Several repairs for the building are in the pipeline."

Fluent Tip

Refers to future projects or repairs.

Under the hood

/አንደር ዘ ሁድ/

ውስጣዊ አሰራር

The internal workings of something

የአንድ ነገር ውስጣዊ አሰራር ወይም ክፍሎች

In Practice

"Let's look under the hood to see why the engine is making that noise."

"The software looks simple, but there's a lot going on under the hood."

Fluent Tip

Originally for cars, now used for any complex system.

Tighten your belt

/ታይተን ዩር ቤልት/

ወጪን መቀነስ

To spend less money than usual

ከወትሮው ያነሰ ገንዘብ ማውጣት

In Practice

"With the rising utility bills, we need to tighten our belts."

"The company had to tighten its belt after the expensive repairs."

Fluent Tip

Used when financial resources are limited due to repair costs.

A wrench in the works

/ኤ ረንች ኢን ዘ ወርክስ/

እቅድን የሚያበላሽ ነገር

Something that causes a plan to fail or creates a problem

እቅድን የሚያሰናክል ወይም ችግር የሚፈጥር ነገር

In Practice

"The unexpected leak threw a wrench in the works of our renovation."

"The technician's absence really threw a wrench in the works."

Fluent Tip

Used when a sudden problem halts progress.

Break down

/ብሬክ ዳውን/

መበላሸት

To stop functioning

መስራት ማቆም ወይም መበላሸት

In Practice

"The old washing machine might break down soon."

"Our car broke down on the way to the plumber's shop."

Fluent Tip

Commonly used for mechanical failure.

Shut off

/ሻት ኦፍ/

ማጥፋት ወይም መዝጋት

To stop the flow or operation of something

ፍሰትን ወይም አሰራርን ማስቆም

In Practice

"Please shut off the water before you fix the faucet."

"The electricity was shut off because of the storm."

Fluent Tip

Used for water, gas, and electricity.

Fix up

/ፊክስ አፕ/

ማደስ ወይም ማስተካከል

To repair or improve the condition of something

የአንድን ነገር ሁኔታ መጠገን ወይም ማሻሻል

In Practice

"They are planning to fix up the old apartment."

"I need to fix up the fence this weekend."

Fluent Tip

General term for renovation or repair.

Patch up

/ፓች አፕ/

ለጊዜው መጠገን

To repair something quickly or temporarily

አንድን ነገር በፍጥነት ወይም ለጊዜው መጠገን

In Practice

"I'll patch up the hole in the wall for now."

"Can you patch up this leak until the plumber arrives?"

Fluent Tip

Refers to minor or temporary fixes.

Sort out

/ሶርት አውት/

መፍታት ወይም ማስተካከል

To resolve a problem or organize something

ችግርን መፍታት ወይም አንድን ነገር ማደራጀት

In Practice

"We need to sort out the wiring issues in the basement."

"The technician will sort out the billing error."

Fluent Tip

Used for fixing problems or organizing tasks.

Run out

/ረን አውት/

ማለቅ

To use all of something so that none is left

አንድን ነገር ጨርሶ መጠቀም

In Practice

"We ran out of hot water halfway through the shower."

"The generator ran out of fuel."

Fluent Tip

Common with utilities like water or fuel.

Check over

/ቼክ ኦቨር/

በጥንቃቄ መመርመር

To examine something carefully for problems

ለችግሮች አንድን ነገር በጥንቃቄ መመርመር

In Practice

"The electrician will check over the system tomorrow."

"Make sure to check over the pipes for any cracks."

Fluent Tip

Maintenance-related inspection.

Turn up

/ተርን አፕ/

መጨመር

To increase the volume, heat, or power

ድምጽን፣ ሙቀትን ወይም ኃይልን መጨመር

In Practice

"Can you turn up the heat? It's freezing in here."

"Turn up the water pressure if possible."

Fluent Tip

Adjusting utility settings.

Put together

/ፑት ቱጌዘር/

መገጣጠም

To assemble the parts of something

የአንድን ነገር ክፍሎች ማገጣጠም

In Practice

"It took three hours to put the new shelf together."

"Help me put this pump back together."

Fluent Tip

Opposite of taking something apart.

Take apart

/ቴይክ አፓርት/

መበታተን

To separate something into its component parts

አንድን ነገር ወደ ክፍሎቹ መበታተን

In Practice

"I had to take the toaster apart to fix the spring."

"Don't take the motor apart if you don't know how to fix it."

Fluent Tip

Common in diagnostic repair.

Clean out

/ክሊን አውት/

ውስጥን ማጽዳት

To remove dirt or unwanted items from the inside

ቆሻሻን ወይም የማይፈለጉ ነገሮችን ከውስጥ ማስወገድ

In Practice

"You should clean out the gutters before the rainy season."

"We need to clean out the drain pipes."

Fluent Tip

Preventative maintenance task.

Call in

/ኮል ኢን/

ባለሙያ መጥራት

To request the arrival of a professional for help

ለእርዳታ ባለሙያ መጥራት

In Practice

"We had to call in a specialist to fix the AC."

"The landlord called in a plumber for the leak."

Fluent Tip

Used when hiring a technician.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it

/ኢፍ ኢት ኤንት ብሮክ ዶንት ፊክስ ኢት/

ካልተበላሸ አትነካካው

Do not try to improve something that is already working well

ቀድሞውኑ በጥሩ ሁኔታ የሚሰራን ነገር ለማሻሻል አትሞክር

In Practice

"The old system works fine, so if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

"I wanted to update the app, but my dad said 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'."

Fluent Tip

Advise against unnecessary repairs or changes.

A stitch in time saves nine

/ኤ ስቲች ኢን ታይም ሴቭስ ናይን/

ቀድሞ መጥገን በኋላ ብዙ ከመድከም ያድናል

Fixing a small problem now prevents a bigger problem later

አነስተኛ ችግርን አሁን መጠገን በኋላ ከሚመጣ ትልቅ ችግር ይከላከላል

In Practice

"Repair that small leak now; a stitch in time saves nine."

"Routine maintenance is vital; remember, a stitch in time saves nine."

Fluent Tip

Encouraging early maintenance.

Measure twice, cut once

/ሜዠር ትዋይስ ካት ዋንስ/

ከመቁረጥህ በፊት ሁለት ጊዜ ለካ

Plan and check your work thoroughly before taking action

እርምጃ ከመውሰድዎ በፊት ስራዎን በጥንቃቄ ያቅዱ እና ያረጋግጡ

In Practice

"Before you drill into the wall, measure twice, cut once."

"Precision is key in plumbing; measure twice, cut once."

Fluent Tip

Warning against rushing through repairs.

Necessity is the mother of invention

/ነሰሲቲ ኢዝ ዘ ማዘር ኦፍ ኢንቬንሽን/

ችግር ለፈጠራ መነሻ ነው

Difficult situations inspire creative solutions

አስቸጋሪ ሁኔታዎች ለፈጠራ መፍትሄዎች ያነሳሳሉ

In Practice

"We had no tools, but necessity is the mother of invention, so we used a coin."

"Fixing things during the power outage proved that necessity is the mother of invention."

Fluent Tip

Used when describing creative DIY fixes.

You get what you pay for

/ዩ ጌት ዋት ዩ ፔይ ፎር/

እንደ ዋጋው ነው ጥራቱ

The quality of a product or service depends on its cost

የአንድ ምርት ወይም አገልግሎት ጥራት በዋጋው ላይ የተመሰረተ ነው

In Practice

"The cheap repair didn't last long; you get what you pay for."

"I hired a professional because you get what you pay for."

Fluent Tip

Warning against choosing the cheapest repair option.

Rome wasn't built in a day

/ሮም ወዝንት ቢልት ኢን ኤ ዴይ/

ትልቅ ስራ በአንድ ቀን አይሰራም

Complex tasks take time to complete

ውስብስብ ስራዎች ለመጨረስ ጊዜ ይወስዳሉ

In Practice

"Be patient with the renovations; Rome wasn't built in a day."

"The total rewiring will take time; Rome wasn't built in a day."

Fluent Tip

Used to encourage patience during major repairs.

A leaky faucet wastes water

/ኤ ሊኪ ፋውሴት ዌስትስ ዋተር/

የሚንጠባጠብ ቧንቧ ውሃ ያባክናል

Small, neglected problems can lead to significant waste

ትናንሽና ችላ የተባሉ ችግሮች ወደ ከፍተኛ ብክነት ሊመሩ ይችላሉ

In Practice

"Fix the drip today; remember that a leaky faucet wastes water."

"Even a small leak in the system can be costly."

Fluent Tip

Used to emphasize the importance of fixing minor leaks.

Penny wise, pound foolish

/ፔኒ ዋይዝ ፓውንድ ፉሊሽ/

በትንሹ ቆጥቦ በትልቁ መክሰር

Saving small amounts of money while wasting large ones

በትናንሽ ነገሮች ላይ ገንዘብ ቆጥቦ በትላልቅ ነገሮች ላይ ማባከን

In Practice

"Buying cheap parts for the boiler is penny wise and pound foolish."

"He skipped the inspection to save money, which was penny wise, pound foolish."

Fluent Tip

Criticizing short-term savings that cause long-term costs.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket

/ዶንት ፑት ኦል ዩር ኤግስ ኢን ዋን ባስኬት/

ሁሉንም ነገር በአንድ ላይ አታስቀምጥ

Do not depend on only one plan or utility source

በአንድ እቅድ ወይም በአንድ የኃይል ምንጭ ላይ ብቻ አትመካ

In Practice

"We have a solar backup so we don't put all our eggs in one basket."

"The city is using multiple water sources so they don't put all their eggs in one basket."

Fluent Tip

Advising on redundancy and backup systems.

Every tool has its use

/ኤቭሪ ቱል ሃዝ ኢትስ ዩዝ/

እያንዳንዱ መሣሪያ የራሱ ጥቅም አለው

Everything or everyone has a specific purpose

እያንዳንዱ ነገር ወይም ሰው የተለየ ዓላማ አለው

In Practice

"Don't throw away that old wrench; every tool has its use."

"In a workshop, you'll find that every tool has its use."

Fluent Tip

Used when organizing or valuing maintenance equipment.

Good help is hard to find

/ጉድ ሄልፕ ኢዝ ሃርድ ቱ ፋይንድ/

ጥሩ ሰራተኛ ማግኘት አስቸጋሪ ነው

It is difficult to find reliable and skilled workers

ታማኝ እና ክህሎት ያላቸው ሰራተኞችን ማግኘት ከባድ ነው

In Practice

"The plumber didn't show up; good help is hard to find these days."

"I've been looking for a reliable electrician for months; good help is hard to find."

Fluent Tip

Common complaint when dealing with contractors.

Safety first

/ሴፍቲ ፈርስት/

ቅድሚያ ለደህንነት

Protection from harm is the most important thing

ከጉዳት መጠበቅ ከሁሉ በላይ አስፈላጊው ነገር ነው

In Practice

"Wear your goggles before using the drill; safety first."

"Turn off the main breaker; safety first."

Fluent Tip

Standard rule for any repair or maintenance work.

Janky

/ጃንኪ/

የተዝረከረከ ወይም ጥራት የሌለው

Poor quality or unreliable

ጥራት የሌለው ወይም የማይታመን

In Practice

"This light switch is really janky."

"I don't trust that janky ladder."

Fluent Tip

Informal description of poorly made or broken items.

Lemon

/ሌመን/

ተበላሽቶ የማይጠገን ነገር

A vehicle or machine that is constantly breaking down

ሁልጊዜ የሚበላሽ መኪና ወይም ማሽን

In Practice

"I think this new dishwasher is a lemon."

"He sold me a lemon; the engine died after two days."

Fluent Tip

Commonly used for defective cars or appliances.

Busted

/ባስተድ/

የተሰበረ ወይም የተበላሸ

Broken or non-functional

የተሰበረ ወይም የማይሰራ

In Practice

"My phone screen is totally busted."

"The lock on the front door is busted."

Fluent Tip

Very common informal term for 'broken'.

Zapped

/ዛፕድ/

በኤሌክትሪክ የተቃጠለ

Destroyed by an electrical surge or shock

በኤሌክትሪክ መጨመር ወይም ንዝረት የጠፋ/የተበላሸ

In Practice

"The computer got zapped during the lightning storm."

"Be careful or you'll get zapped by that live wire."

Fluent Tip

Relates to electrical damage or shocks.

Goner

/ጎነር/

ተስፋ የሌለው ወይም ያለቀለት

Something that is beyond repair

ሊጠገን የማይችል ወይም ያለቀለት ነገር

In Practice

"The motor is a goner; we need to buy a new one."

"After the flood, the basement carpet was a goner."

Fluent Tip

Used when an item cannot be fixed.

Fried

/ፍራይድ/

ተቃጥሎ የተበላሸ

Burned out or ruined (usually electronics)

የተቃጠለ ወይም የተበላሸ (በተለይ የኤሌክትሮኒክስ ዕቃዎች)

In Practice

"The motherboard is fried."

"I think the circuit board got fried in the surge."

Fluent Tip

Common for damaged internal electronics.

Dud

/ዳድ/

የማይሰራ ወይም የማይጠቅም

Something that fails to work as expected

እንደሚጠበቀው የማይሰራ ወይም የማይጠቅም ነገር

In Practice

"This lightbulb is a dud."

"We bought a pack of batteries, but half were duds."

Fluent Tip

Used for items that are broken right out of the box.

Juiced

/ጁስድ/

ኃይል ያለው

Powered up or having electricity

ኃይል ያለው ወይም ኤሌክትሪክ ያገኘ

In Practice

"Is the wire juiced? I don't want to touch it."

"Once the machine is juiced, we can start testing."

Fluent Tip

Informal term for electrical power.

Rigged

/ሪግድ/

በጊዜያዊነት የተገጣጠመ

Fixed in a makeshift or temporary way

በጊዜያዊነት ወይም ባልተለመደ ሁኔታ የተገጠመ

In Practice

"He rigged the antenna with a coat hanger."

"The wiring looks a bit rigged, but it works."

Fluent Tip

Often implies a clever but non-standard fix.

Glitchy

/ግሊቺ/

በትናንሽ ችግሮች የሚቆራረጥ

Experiencing small, temporary technical problems

በትናንሽና ጊዜያዊ ቴክኒካዊ ችግሮች የሚቸገር

In Practice

"The internet connection has been glitchy all morning."

"My smart thermostat is acting glitchy."

Fluent Tip

Mainly used for digital or electronic systems.

Wired

/ዋየርድ/

የተገናኘ ወይም የኤሌክትሪክ መስመር ያለው

Connected by wires or very energetic

በሽቦ የተገናኘ ወይም በጣም ንቁ

In Practice

"Is this house wired for high-speed internet?"

"The whole building is wired to a central generator."

Fluent Tip

Refers to electrical or data installations.

Sketchy

/ስኬቺ/

አጠራጣሪ ወይም አደገኛ

Unreliable or potentially dangerous

የማይታመን ወይም አደገኛ ሊሆን የሚችል

In Practice

"The wiring in this old garage looks sketchy."

"That's a sketchy way to fix a gas leak."

Fluent Tip

Used for questionable repair jobs or conditions.

Acting up

/አክቲንግ አፕ/

በአግባቡ አለመስራት

Malfunctioning or behaving badly

በአግባቡ አለመስራት ወይም አስቸጋሪ መሆን

In Practice

"My air conditioner has been acting up lately."

"The plumbing is acting up again in the bathroom."

Fluent Tip

Commonly used for appliances or systems.

Conked out

/ኮንክድ አውት/

ድንገት መስራት ማቆም

Suddenly stopped working or died

ድንገት መስራት ማቆም ወይም መጥፋት

In Practice

"The microwave just conked out mid-use."

"I was driving home when the engine conked out."

Fluent Tip

Describes a sudden mechanical failure.

Kaput

/ካፑት/

የተበላሸ ወይም ያለቀለት

Completely broken or finished

ሙሉ በሙሉ የተበላሸ ወይም ያከተመለት

In Practice

"The old TV is finally kaput."

"Our summer plans are kaput because the car broke down."

Fluent Tip

Informal way to say something is dead or useless.

TLC

/ቲ ኤል ሲ/

እንክብካቤ

Tender Loving Care; extra maintenance

ልዩ እንክብካቤ ወይም ጥበቃ

In Practice

"This old house just needs some TLC."

"Give the lawnmower some TLC and it will work fine."

Fluent Tip

Used when something needs repair and attention.

Giving me grief

/ጊቪንግ ሚ ግሪፍ/

እያሰቃየኝ ነው

Causing trouble or annoyance

ችግር ወይም ብስጭት መፍጠር

In Practice

"This leaky faucet is really giving me grief."

"The slow internet is giving me grief."

Fluent Tip

Used when a repair issue is frustrating.

Handyman

/ሀንዲ ማን/

ሁሉን አድራጊ ሰራተኛ

A person skilled at various small repairs

ልዩ ልዩ ትናንሽ ጥገናዎችን የሚሰራ ባለሙያ

In Practice

"We hired a handyman to fix the door and the shelves."

"He's a great handyman around the house."

Fluent Tip

General term for a multi-skilled repair person.

DIY

/ዲ አይ ዋይ/

በራስ መጥገን

Do-It-Yourself; repairing things without professionals

ባለሙያ ሳይጠሩ ራስን መጠገን

In Practice

"I'm doing a DIY project in the kitchen."

"Is this a DIY fix or should we call a pro?"

Fluent Tip

Refers to home improvement or repairs done by the owner.

Out of whack

/አውት ኦፍ ዋክ/

ከመደበኛው ውጪ የሆነ

Not properly aligned or functioning correctly

በትክክል ያልተስተካከለ ወይም በአግባቡ የማይሰራ

In Practice

"The settings on the thermostat are all out of whack."

"The alignment of the door is out of whack."

Fluent Tip

Used for things that are misaligned or unbalanced.

Quick and dirty

/ክዊክ ኤንድ ደርቲ/

ፈጣን ግን ጥራት የሌለው መፍትሄ

Done fast but without much care for detail

ለዝርዝር ነገሮች ግድ ሳይሰጡ በፍጥነት የተሰራ

In Practice

"It was a quick and dirty fix, but it stopped the leak."

"We need a quick and dirty solution for now."

Fluent Tip

Describes a fast, non-professional repair.

Run into a snag

/ረን ኢንቱ ኤ ስናግ/

ችግር ላይ መውደቅ

To encounter an unexpected problem

ያልተጠበቀ ችግር ማጋጠም

In Practice

"We ran into a snag with the bathroom tiling."

"The repair was going well until we ran into a snag."

Fluent Tip

Common when a repair project gets delayed.

Touch and go

/ተች ኤንድ ጎ/

አጠራጣሪ ሁኔታ

In a precarious or uncertain state

አስተማማኝ ባልሆነ ወይም አጠራጣሪ ሁኔታ ላይ ያለ

In Practice

"It was touch and go whether the generator would start."

"The repair was touch and go for a few hours."

Fluent Tip

Used for uncertain repair outcomes.

Working like a charm

/ወርኪንግ ላይክ ኤ ቻርም/

በጥሩ ሁኔታ እየሰራ ነው

Functioning perfectly or very effectively

በጥሩ ሁኔታ ወይም ውጤታማ በሆነ መንገድ እየሰራ

In Practice

"After the oil change, the car is working like a charm."

"The new water filter works like a charm."

Fluent Tip

Positive feedback after a successful fix.

Well-oiled machine

/ዌል ኦይልድ ማሽን/

በጥሩ ሁኔታ የሚሰራ ድርጅት ወይም ቡድን

Something that operates smoothly and efficiently

በጥሩ ሁኔታና በብቃት የሚሰራ ነገር

In Practice

"The maintenance crew runs like a well-oiled machine."

"Our household utilities are finally running like a well-oiled machine."

Fluent Tip

Positive metaphor for efficiency.

Building bridges

/ቢልዲንግ ብሪጅስ/

ግንኙነትን ማጠናከር

Creating connections or improving relationships

ግንኙነቶችን መፍጠር ወይም ማሻሻል

In Practice

"The city is building bridges between utility providers and customers."

"He is building bridges by helping neighbors with repairs."

Fluent Tip

Figurative use of a construction term.

Short-circuit

/ሾርት ሰርኪውት/

ሂደትን ማቋረጥ

To bypass or interrupt a process prematurely

አንድን ሂደት ያለጊዜው ማቋረጥ ወይም ማሳጠር

In Practice

"The lack of funding short-circuited the repair plans."

"His anger short-circuited the negotiation."

Fluent Tip

Figurative use of an electrical failure.

Solid foundation

/ሶሊድ ፋውንዴሽን/

ጠንካራ መሰረት

A strong starting point or underlying structure

ጠንካራ የመነሻ ነጥብ ወይም መሰረታዊ መዋቅር

In Practice

"Good maintenance provides a solid foundation for the building's longevity."

"We need a solid foundation before we start the repairs."

Fluent Tip

Used in both literal and figurative construction contexts.

Draining the battery

/ድሬኒንግ ዘ ባተሪ/

ጉልበትን መጨረስ

Exhausting resources or energy

ሀብትን ወይም ጉልበትን መጨረስ

In Practice

"Constant repairs are draining the company's battery."

"Dealing with the water bill is draining my emotional battery."

Fluent Tip

Comparing human/financial energy to a battery.

Lightbulb moment

/ላይት ባልብ ሞመንት/

ብልጭ ያለ ሀሳብ

A moment of sudden inspiration or realization

ድንገተኛ መነሳሳት ወይም የመረዳት ጊዜ

In Practice

"I had a lightbulb moment and figured out how to fix the sink."

"The technician had a lightbulb moment after seeing the wiring."

Fluent Tip

Metaphor for problem-solving.

Opening the floodgates

/ኦፕኒንግ ዘ ፍለድጌትስ/

ብዙ ነገሮች እንዲፈስሱ መፍቀድ

Allowing a large number of things to happen at once

ብዙ ነገሮች በአንድ ጊዜ እንዲከሰቱ መፍቀድ

In Practice

"Fixing one pipe opened the floodgates for more repairs."

"Complaining about the utility bill opened the floodgates of grievances."

Fluent Tip

Refers to a sudden surge of problems or actions.

A cog in the machine

/ኤ ኮግ ኢን ዘ ማሽን/

የአንድ ትልቅ ነገር ትንሽ አካል

A small part of a large organization or system

የአንድ ትልቅ ድርጅት ወይም ስርዓት ትንሽ ክፍል

In Practice

"Every technician is a vital cog in the maintenance machine."

"I feel like just a cog in the machine at this utility company."

Fluent Tip

Describes an individual's role in a large system.

Spark of inspiration

/ስፓርክ ኦፍ ኢንስፒሬሽን/

የፈጠራ ብልጭታ

A sudden creative idea

ድንገተኛ የፈጠራ ሀሳብ

In Practice

"A spark of inspiration helped him invent a new tool."

"The repair required a spark of inspiration to succeed."

Fluent Tip

Uses electricity metaphor for creativity.

Rusty skills

/ራስቲ ስኪልስ/

የዛገ ችሎታ

Skills that have weakened due to lack of use

በአጠቃቀም ማነስ ምክንያት የደከሙ ችሎታዎች

In Practice

"My plumbing skills are a bit rusty."

"I need to practice before fixing the engine; I'm rusty."

Fluent Tip

Comparing human ability to metal oxidation.

Under pressure

/አንደር ፕሬሸር/

በውጥረት ውስጥ

Facing stress or high expectations

ውጥረት ወይም ከፍተኛ ፍላጎት እያጋጠመው ያለ

In Practice

"The repair crew is under pressure to finish by morning."

"The pipes are literally under pressure, just like the manager."

Fluent Tip

Literal for plumbing/gas, figurative for stress.

Wired differently

/ዋየርድ ዲፈረንትሊ/

አስተሳሰቡ የተለየ

Having a unique way of thinking or behaving

ልዩ የሆነ የአስተሳሰብ ወይም የባህሪ መንገድ ያለው

In Practice

"He's a genius at fixing things; he's just wired differently."

"Some people are wired differently and enjoy home maintenance."

Fluent Tip

Comparing human brains to electrical wiring.

Smooth as clockwork

/ስሙዝ አዝ ክሎክ ወርክ/

እንደ ሰዓት በእርጋታ የሚሰራ

Operating perfectly and without interruption

ያለ ምንም መቆራረጥ በትክክል የሚሰራ

In Practice

"The generator installation went as smooth as clockwork."

"The maintenance schedule is running smooth as clockwork."

Fluent Tip

Describes a well-organized process.

Tight as a drum

/ታይት አዝ ኤ ድራም/

በጣም የጠበቀ

Very tight or completely sealed

በጣም የጠበቀ ወይም ሙሉ በሙሉ የታሸገ

In Practice

"The new pipe fitting is tight as a drum."

"Make sure the window seals are tight as a drum."

Fluent Tip

Used for seals, pipes, or security.

Clear as a bell

/ክሊር አዝ ኤ ቤል/

በጣም ጥርት ያለ

Very clear and easy to understand or hear

በጣም ግልጽ እና ለመረዳት ወይም ለመስማት ቀላል የሆነ

In Practice

"The instructions for the repair were clear as a bell."

"After fixing the speaker, the sound is clear as a bell."

Fluent Tip

Used for sound quality or instructions.

Solid as a rock

/ሶሊድ አዝ ኤ ሮክ/

እንደ ድንጋይ የጠነከረ

Very strong, stable, and reliable

በጣም ጠንካራ፣ የተረጋጋ እና አስተማማኝ

In Practice

"The foundation of this building is solid as a rock."

"His reputation as a technician is solid as a rock."

Fluent Tip

Describes structural stability or reliability.

Like a house of cards

/ላይክ ኤ ሃውስ ኦፍ ካርድስ/

ሊፈርስ የተቃረበ

Very fragile and likely to fail or collapse

በጣም ተሰባሪ እና ሊወድቅ የሚችል

In Practice

"Without proper maintenance, the system is like a house of cards."

"The repair job was so bad, it's like a house of cards."

Fluent Tip

Describes unstable structures or plans.

Clean as a whistle

/ክሊን አዝ ኤ ዊስል/

በጣም ንጹህ

Extremely clean or clear

በጣም ንጹህ ወይም ጥርት ያለ

In Practice

"After the service, the engine was clean as a whistle."

"The plumber left the workspace clean as a whistle."

Fluent Tip

Common after cleaning or maintenance work.

Runs like a dream

/ረንስ ላይክ ኤ ድሪም/

በጣም በሚያምር ሁኔታ ይሰራል

Works very smoothly and efficiently

በጣም ለስላሳ እና ውጤታማ በሆነ መንገድ ይሰራል

In Practice

"The new furnace runs like a dream."

"After the repair, the motor runs like a dream."

Fluent Tip

Used to praise a well-functioning machine.

Hot as a furnace

/ሆት አዝ ኤ ፈርነስ/

እንደ እቶን የጋለ

Extremely hot

በጣም ሞቃት

In Practice

"The boiler room is hot as a furnace."

"Without the AC, the house is hot as a furnace."

Fluent Tip

Describes intense heat in utility areas.

Bright as a button

/ብራይት አዝ ኤ ባተን/

በጣም ብሩህ ወይም ንቁ

Intelligent, quick-witted, or very shiny

ብልህ፣ ንቁ ወይም በጣም የሚያብረቀርቅ

In Practice

"The new LED lights are bright as a button."

"The young apprentice is bright as a button."

Fluent Tip

Can describe lights or people.

Broken like a toy

/ብሮከን ላይክ ኤ ቶይ/

እንደ መጫወቻ የተሰበረ

Easily damaged or completely ruined

በቀላሉ የተበላሸ ወይም ሙሉ በሙሉ የጠፋ

In Practice

"The cheap plastic handle broke like a toy."

"The machinery was old and broken like a toy."

Fluent Tip

Describes poor quality or fragility.

Cold as ice

/ኮልድ አዝ አይስ/

እንደ በረዶ የቀዘቀዘ

Extremely cold

በጣም የቀዘቀዘ

In Practice

"The air conditioner makes the room cold as ice."

"The water in the pipes was cold as ice during the winter."

Fluent Tip

Used for cooling systems or water.

Strong as steel

/ስትሮንግ አዝ ስቲል/

እንደ ብረት የጠነከረ

Very durable and tough

በጣም ዘላቂ እና ጠንካራ

In Practice

"The new structural beams are strong as steel."

"The technician's resolve was strong as steel."

Fluent Tip

Describes material strength.

Back to the drawing board

/ባክ ቱ ዘ ድሮይንግ ቦርድ/

ከመጀመሪያው መጀመር

Starting over because the first attempt failed

የመጀመሪያው ሙከራ በመክሸፉ ምክንያት እንደገና መጀመር

In Practice

"The fix didn't work, so it's back to the drawing board."

"If this part doesn't fit, we're back to the drawing board."

Fluent Tip

Used when a repair plan fails completely.

Hitting the nail on the head

/ሂቲንግ ዘ ኔይል ኦን ዘ ሄድ/

ትክክለኛውን ነገር መናገር ወይም ማድረግ

Identifying exactly what the problem is

ችግሩ ምን እንደሆነ በትክክል መለየት

In Practice

"The technician hit the nail on the head regarding the leak."

"You hit the nail on the head about why the power keeps failing."

Fluent Tip

Used for accurate diagnosis of a problem.

Light at the end of the tunnel

/ላይት አት ዘ ኤንድ ኦፍ ዘ ተናል/

ተስፋ መታየት

A sign that a difficult task is almost finished

አስቸጋሪ ስራ ሊጠናቀቅ መሆኑን የሚያሳይ ምልክት

In Practice

"After three days of repairs, I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel."

"The utility company said there's light at the end of the tunnel for the power outage."

Fluent Tip

Used during long repair projects.

Throw a wrench in the works

/ዝሮው ኤ ረንች ኢን ዘ ወርክስ/

ስራን ማደናቀፍ

To interfere with or mess up a plan

በአንድ እቅድ ውስጥ ጣልቃ መግባት ወይም ማበላሸት

In Practice

"The missing parts threw a wrench in the works."

"A sudden rainstorm threw a wrench in the outdoor repairs."

Fluent Tip

Describes an unexpected interruption.

Drop in the bucket

/ድሮፕ ኢን ዘ ባከት/

ከባህር አንድ ጠብታ

A very small amount compared to what is needed

ከሚያስፈልገው ጋር ሲነጻጸር በጣም ትንሽ መጠን

In Practice

"This minor repair is just a drop in the bucket for this old house."

"Saving ten dollars on water is a drop in the bucket compared to the total bill."

Fluent Tip

Used to describe insignificant efforts or costs.

Up to code

/አፕ ቱ ኮድ/

መስፈርቱን ያሟላ

Meeting all official safety regulations and standards

ሁሉንም ኦፊሴላዊ የደህንነት ደንቦች እና ደረጃዎች የሚያሟላ

In Practice

"We need to make sure the wiring is up to code."

"The inspector said the plumbing isn't up to code."

Fluent Tip

Standard term for legal/safety compliance in maintenance.

Wear many hats

/ዌር ሜኒ ሀትስ/

ብዙ ስራዎችን መስራት

To have many different roles or responsibilities

ብዙ የተለያዩ ሚናዎች ወይም ኃላፊነቶች መኖር

In Practice

"As a building manager, I have to wear many hats, from plumber to accountant."

"The handyman wears many hats during the renovation."

Fluent Tip

Describes someone who does various types of repairs.

Burn the midnight oil

/በርን ዘ ሚድናይት ኦይል/

እስከ ሌሊት መስራት

To work late into the night

እስከ አረፋፈደ ሌሊት መስራት

In Practice

"The crew had to burn the midnight oil to fix the water main."

"I've been burning the midnight oil trying to understand this manual."

Fluent Tip

Used during urgent or emergency repairs.

Better late than never

/ቤተር ሌይት ዛን ኔቨር/

ከመቅረት መዘግየት ይሻላል

It is better for something to happen late than not at all

አንድ ነገር ጨርሶ ከመቅረት ዘግይቶ ቢሆን ይሻላል

In Practice

"The technician finally arrived; better late than never."

"We fixed the roof after the rain; better late than never."

Fluent Tip

Commonly said when a repair is delayed.

Cost an arm and a leg

/ኮስት አን አርም ኤንድ ኤ ሌግ/

በጣም ውድ መሆን

To be extremely expensive

በጣም ውድ መሆን

In Practice

"Replacing the whole electrical system will cost an arm and a leg."

"Utility bills in this city cost an arm and a leg."

Fluent Tip

Refers to high costs of repairs or services.

Keep it simple

/ኪፕ ኢት ሲምፕል/

ቀላል አድርገው

Avoid making things unnecessarily complex

ነገሮችን ሳያስፈልግ ውስብስብ ከማድረግ መቆጠብ

In Practice

"Don't over-engineer the fix; just keep it simple."

"The best maintenance advice is to keep it simple."

Fluent Tip

Encouraging straightforward solutions.

Long story short

/ሎንግ ስቶሪ ሾርት/

ባጭሩ ለመግለጽ

To summarize a long or complex situation

ረጅም ወይም ውስብስብ ሁኔታን ለማጠቃለል

In Practice

"Long story short, the pipe burst and we had to call emergency services."

"Long story short, the repair was successful."

Fluent Tip

Used when explaining a complicated repair history.