Funciona

Funciona is a verb form found in Spanish and Portuguese, and it appears as the third-person singular present indicative of the verb funcionar in both languages. In Italian, a closely related word is funziona, but it is spelled differently. The term is commonly used to describe whether a device, system, process, or plan operates as intended.

Etymology and related terms

The word derives from Latin roots associated with performing or executing a function. In Romance languages, funcionario-related terms evolved into funcionar in Spanish and Portuguese and into its cognates in other languages. Related nouns include función in Spanish and funcionamento in Portuguese, both referring to the concept of operation or functioning.

Grammatical notes

Funciona is regular in both Spanish and Portuguese conjugation patterns for the third-person singular present indicative. It answers questions like “How does it operate?” or serves as a statement such as “It works.” Other forms include funcionan (they work), funcionó (it/they operated), and funcionar (to operate). The noun form funzionamiento, função, or funcionamiento also appears in each language to denote the act or state of functioning.

Usage

Funciona is widely used to describe machines, software, plans, and processes. Examples: “La lavadora funciona” (The washing machine works) and “El plan funciona si todos participan” (The plan works if everyone participates). It can express capability, reliability, or feasibility, and it is commonly paired with adjectives like bien, mal, or correctamente to specify the quality of operation.

Translations and equivalents

In English, funciona commonly translates as “it works” or “it functions.” Similar verbs in other Romance languages include funzionare (Italian), funzionare in various forms, and funcionar in Portuguese or Spanish. See also funcionamiento/función for noun forms related to operation.