टैप ख़राब है

You just need to point at the offending faucet. Say it clearly to a landlord or a plumber. You don't need complex grammar here. If you are at a friend's house, just say it casually. If you are at a hotel, say it to the front desk. It works perfectly in almost any setting.

Use it the moment you see a leak. Use it when you try to wash your hands and nothing happens. It is great for reporting maintenance issues. You can use it in a text to your roommate. It is also useful in public places like malls. If you see a wasted puddle, tell the staff टैप ख़राब है.

Don't use it for a dry spell. If the whole city has no water, the tap isn't ख़राब. In that case, the water is just 'gone' (पानी नहीं आ रहा). Don't use it for a broken heart or a broken car. ख़राब works for machines, but context matters. For a broken glass, use टूटा हुआ.

In India, water conservation is a big deal. A leaking tap is seen as a waste of a precious resource. People will appreciate you pointing it out. Interestingly, while the Hindi word is नल (nal), almost everyone uses the English word टैप (tap) in cities. It is a sign of how English words blend into daily Hindi.

You might hear नल ख़राब है (Nal kharaab hai) in more traditional homes. If it's leaking, you could say टैप टपक रहा है (Tap tapak raha hai). If it's completely smashed, you'd say टैप टूट गया है. But for 90% of situations, टैप ख़राब है is your best friend. It’s short, sweet, and gets the plumber moving!