How to Say "they operate" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “they operate” is “funcionan” — A1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
¿Los frenos del coche funcionan bien?
Do the car brakes work well?
Dicen que los nuevos sistemas de seguridad funcionan mucho mejor.
They say the new security systems function much better.
Aunque la batería está baja, las luces todavía funcionan.
Even though the battery is low, the lights still work.
Who is 'funcionan'?
This form is used when the subject is plural: 'ellos' (they, masculine/mixed group), 'ellas' (they, feminine group), or 'ustedes' (you all, formal).
Regular -AR Verb
Since 'funcionar' is a regular '-ar' verb, it follows the most common conjugation pattern in Spanish, making it easy to predict its forms in other tenses.
Working vs. Functioning
Mistake: “Misusing 'trabajan' (they work) for objects.”
Correction: 'Trabajar' is usually for people's jobs. For machines, plans, or systems, use 'funcionan': 'Los robots funcionan' (The robots work), not 'trabajan'.
Related Translations
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