Calmly addressing a noise issue | Learn French in English

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Use Calmly addressing a noise issue to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Je voulais vous signaler que votre musique s'entend clairement à travers le mur.

zhuh voo-LAY voo see-nyah-LAY kuh VO-truh myoo-ZEEK sahn-TAHN klair-MAHN ah trah-VAIR luh MUR I wanted to mention that your music carries clearly through the wall.

Je ne savais pas qu'elle s'entendait de votre côté.

zhuh nuh sah-VAY pah kell sahn-tahn-DAY duh VO-truh koh-TAY I did not realize it was reaching your side.

C'est surtout perceptible tard dans la nuit, quand l'immeuble est calme.

say soor-TOO pair-sep-TEEBL tahr dahn lah nwee, kahn lee-MUHBL ay KALM It is mostly noticeable late at night, when the building is quiet.

Je peux baisser les basses et éloigner les enceintes du mur.

zhuh puh bay-SAY lay BASS ay ay-lwah-NYAY lay zahn-SENT duh MUR I can lower the bass and move the speakers away from the wall.

Cela aiderait, surtout les soirs où je travaille.

suh-LAH eh-DRAY, soor-TOO lay SWAHR oo zhuh trah-VAI That would help, especially on work nights.

Dites-moi si ce changement ne suffit pas.

DEET-mwah see suh shahnzh-MAHN nuh soo-FEE pah Please tell me if the change is not enough.

Je vous remercie d'accepter d'en parler.

zhuh voo ruh-mair-SEE dahk-sep-TAY dahn par-LAY I appreciate you being willing to talk about it.

Il vaut mieux régler ça avant que cela ne crée des tensions.

eel voh MYUH ray-GLAY sah ah-VAHN kuh suh-LAH nuh kray day tahn-SYOHN It is better to sort this out before it turns into tension.

Word by Word

Je Here, 'Je' means “I” and identifies the person speaking. It comes before the verb in 'Je voulais'; use it when describing your own action, thought, or request.

voulais In 'Je voulais', 'voulais' means “wanted” and gives the opening a considerate, less abrupt tone. Its citation form is vouloir; 'Je voulais vous signaler que' is useful when raising a point tactfully.

vous Here, 'vous' refers to the person being addressed politely, or to more than one person. In 'vous signaler', it is placed before the infinitive; use it when addressing someone formally or addressing a group.

signaler In 'vous signaler', 'signaler' means “to point out” or “to report” something that the other person should notice. Its citation form is signaler; 'Je voulais vous signaler que' is a useful way to introduce a concern politely.

que Here, 'que' means “that” and introduces the information being pointed out. It follows 'signaler' in 'vous signaler que'; use it to connect a reporting verb with the message that follows.

votre Here, 'votre' means “your” and shows that the music belongs to or is associated with the person being addressed. It comes directly before the noun in 'votre musique'; use it before a noun when referring politely to someone’s possession or connection.

musique Here, 'musique' means “music” and is the thing that can be heard through the wall. In 'votre musique', it follows the possessive determiner; use it when discussing music as a sound or activity.

s'entend Here, 's'entend' means “can be heard” or “is audible,” referring to the music being heard through the wall. The citation form is s'entendre; in a new example, 'La musique s'entend clairement' can describe music that is easy to hear.

clairement Here, 'clairement' means “clearly” and emphasizes that the music is distinctly audible. It follows 's'entend' in 's'entend clairement'; use it to show that something can be perceived without difficulty.

à In 'à travers', 'à' helps form the expression meaning “through” or “across.” Together with 'travers', it introduces the wall that the sound passes through; use 'à travers' before a noun for something passing through or across it.

travers In 'à travers', 'travers' contributes to the meaning “through” or “across.” The complete expression is followed by a noun in 'à travers le mur'; use this pattern when describing movement, sight, or sound through something.

le Here, 'le' means “the” and identifies the specific wall being mentioned. It comes before 'mur' in 'le mur'; use it before a singular noun when referring to a known or specific thing.

mur Here, 'mur' means “wall” and is the surface through which the music carries. It follows 'le' in 'le mur'; use it when describing a wall as a boundary, surface, or part of a building.

ne Here, 'ne' begins the negative structure used with 'pas' around 'savais'. In 'Je ne savais pas', it helps express that the speaker did not know; use it with 'pas' when forming this kind of negation.

savais Here, 'savais' means “knew” in the statement that the speaker did not know the sound was reaching the other side. Its citation form is savoir; 'Je ne savais pas' is useful for explaining that information was previously unknown to you.

pas Here, 'pas' completes the negative structure with 'ne', giving 'Je ne savais pas' the meaning “I did not know.” Use it with 'ne' around the verb when saying that something was not known or did not happen.

qu'elle Here, 'qu'elle' means “that it,” with 'elle' referring to the feminine noun 'musique'. It introduces the clause 'qu'elle s'entendait'; use this form when que comes before elle.

s'entendait Here, 's'entendait' means “was audible” or “could be heard,” referring to the music on the neighbor’s side. Its citation form is s'entendre; use it when describing a sound that was perceptible in a past situation.

de In 'de votre côté', 'de' helps express the viewpoint or side from which something is considered. The complete phrase means “on your side”; use 'de ... côté' to locate something relative to another person or place.

côté In 'de votre côté', 'côté' means “side” and identifies the neighbor’s side of the wall. The phrase is useful when explaining where something is perceived or located in relation to someone else.

C'est Here, 'C'est' means “it is” and begins a description of when the sound is noticeable. It is the contracted form of ce and est; use 'C'est' to identify or describe a situation.

surtout Here, 'surtout' means “mostly” or “especially” and highlights the main time when the sound is noticeable. In 'surtout perceptible', it emphasizes the adjective; use it to focus attention on the most important part of a situation.

perceptible Here, 'perceptible' means “noticeable” or “able to be perceived,” describing the sound as something that can be detected. It follows 'surtout' in 'surtout perceptible'; use it when a sound, change, or effect can be noticed.

tard Here, 'tard' means “late” and refers to a late time during the night. It appears in 'tard dans la nuit'; use this expression when specifying that something happens late at night.

dans In 'dans la nuit', 'dans' means “in” or “during” and places the situation within the night. Use 'dans' before a time period or place to show when or where something occurs.

la Here, 'la' means “the” and comes before 'nuit' in 'la nuit'. Use it before this noun when referring to the night as the relevant time period.

nuit Here, 'nuit' means “night” and forms the time expression 'dans la nuit'. Use it when describing a period after dark or specifying when an event takes place.

quand Here, 'quand' means “when” and introduces the time clause 'quand l'immeuble est calme'. Use it to connect an event with the time or circumstances in which it occurs.

l'immeuble Here, 'l'immeuble' means “the building” and refers to the shared building where the neighbors live. It is the form used before a vowel in place of le immeuble; use it when referring to an apartment or other building.

est Here, 'est' means “is” and links the building with the description 'calme'. Its citation form is être; use it to describe a state or condition with a subject.

calme Here, 'calme' means “quiet” and describes the building as having little background noise. It follows 'est' in 'l'immeuble est calme'; use it to describe a quiet place or a calm situation.

peux Here, 'peux' means “can” and expresses the speaker’s ability or willingness to make an adjustment. Its citation form is pouvoir; 'Je peux baisser' is a useful pattern for offering to do something.

baisser Here, 'baisser' means “to lower,” referring to lowering the bass. It is an infinitive after 'peux' in 'Je peux baisser les basses'; use it after a verb of ability when offering to reduce a level or position.

les Here, 'les' means “the” and introduces the plural noun 'basses'. It identifies the specific bass frequencies being discussed; use it before a plural noun when referring to known items.

basses Here, 'basses' means “bass frequencies” in the context of audio equipment. It is the object of 'baisser' in 'baisser les basses'; use it when discussing the low-frequency part of music or sound.

et Here, 'et' means “and” and links the two proposed adjustments, lowering the bass and moving the speakers. It connects items or actions; use it to join coordinated parts of a sentence.

éloigner Here, 'éloigner' means “to move away” or “to move farther from,” referring to moving the speakers away from the wall. It is coordinated with 'baisser' after 'peux' in 'éloigner les enceintes du mur'; use it when increasing the distance between something and a reference point.

enceintes Here, 'enceintes' means “speakers” and refers to the audio equipment producing the music. It is the object of 'éloigner' in 'éloigner les enceintes du mur'; use it when discussing speakers as sound equipment.

du In 'du mur', 'du' combines de and le and identifies the wall as the reference point from which the speakers are moved away. Use 'éloigner ... du' before the thing that something is moved away from.

Cela Here, 'Cela' means “that” or “it” and refers to the adjustments just proposed. In 'Cela aiderait', it is the subject of the evaluation; use it to refer back to an idea, action, or situation.

aiderait Here, 'aiderait' means “would help” and evaluates the proposed changes as likely to improve the situation. Its citation form is aider; use 'Cela aiderait' when responding positively but cautiously to a proposed solution.

soirs Here, 'soirs' means “evenings” in 'les soirs où je travaille'. The phrase identifies the evenings that are especially important because the speaker works then; use it when referring to multiple evening periods.

où Here, 'où' means “when” or “on which” and links 'soirs' with the clause 'je travaille'. Use it after a time expression to specify what happens during that time.

travaille Here, 'travaille' means “work” in the phrase 'je travaille', meaning “I work.” Its citation form is travailler; use it after 'je' when describing your own work or employment.

Dites Here, 'Dites' means “tell” and forms a polite request addressed to vous. Its citation form is dire; 'Dites-moi' is useful when asking someone to give you information or feedback.

moi Here, 'moi' means “me” and identifies the person who should receive the information. In 'Dites-moi', it follows the imperative with a hyphen; use it when telling someone to tell you something.

si Here, 'si' means “if” and introduces the condition 'si ce changement ne suffit pas'. Use it to ask what should happen or be communicated when a particular condition occurs.

ce Here, 'ce' means “this” and points to the specific change being discussed. It comes before 'changement' in 'ce changement'; use it before a noun to identify a particular thing.

changement Here, 'changement' means “change” and refers to the adjustments to the sound system. It is the subject of 'ne suffit pas' in 'ce changement ne suffit pas'; use it when discussing an alteration intended to improve a situation.

suffit Here, 'suffit' means “is enough” or “suffices,” so 'ne suffit pas' means “is not enough.” Its citation form is suffire; use it when evaluating whether an action or amount meets a need.

remercie Here, 'remercie' means “thank” or “appreciate” in the polite expression 'Je vous remercie'. Its citation form is remercier; use this expression after someone has helped, cooperated, or responded thoughtfully.

d'accepter In 'vous remercie d'accepter', 'd' introduces the infinitive phrase naming what is appreciated, while 'accepter' means “to accept” or “to agree to.” The phrase thanks someone for agreeing to do something; use it when expressing appreciation for their cooperation.

d'en In 'd'en parler', 'd'' links the preceding expression to an infinitive, while 'en' refers back to the issue already under discussion. Together, 'd'en parler' means “to talk about it”; use this pattern when referring back to a previously mentioned matter.

parler Here, 'parler' means “to talk” about the noise issue. It follows 'd'en' in 'd'en parler'; use it when suggesting or describing a conversation about a topic.

Il In the fixed expression 'Il vaut mieux', 'Il' is an impersonal “it” rather than a specific person. The expression as a whole introduces a recommendation; use it when saying that one course of action is preferable.

vaut In 'Il vaut mieux', 'vaut' is the form of valoir used in the expression meaning “it is better.” Its citation form is valoir; use the complete expression 'Il vaut mieux' to recommend a preferable action.

mieux In 'Il vaut mieux', 'mieux' means “better” and helps make a recommendation about the preferable choice. Use the complete expression before an infinitive, as in 'Il vaut mieux régler ça'.

régler Here, 'régler' means “to resolve” or “to sort out” the issue. It follows 'Il vaut mieux' in 'Il vaut mieux régler ça'; use it when recommending that a problem be dealt with.

ça Here, 'ça' means “this” or “that” and refers informally to the noise issue being discussed. It is the object of 'régler' in 'régler ça'; use it to refer conversationally to a situation already understood by both people.

avant Here, 'avant' means “before” and introduces the point in time by which the issue should be resolved. In 'avant que cela ne crée des tensions', it sets a preventive time relationship; use it when recommending action before a later consequence occurs.

crée Here, 'crée' means “creates” or “causes,” referring to the situation causing tensions. It appears in 'cela ne crée des tensions'; use it when describing something that produces an effect or consequence.

des Here, 'des' is the plural indefinite article, meaning “some” before 'tensions'. In 'des tensions', it refers to tensions that could arise without identifying a specific set; use it before a plural noun when speaking generally or indefinitely.

tensions Here, 'tensions' means “tensions” or strained relations between people. It is the result that the neighbors want to prevent in 'crée des tensions'; use it when a disagreement risks making a relationship uncomfortable or hostile.

Grammar Points

Il vaut mieux + infinitif

Il vaut mieux en parler.

eel voh MYUH ahn par-LAY

It is better to talk about it.

The fixed expression « il vaut mieux » means “it is better” and is followed by an infinitive.

Conditionnel présent : aiderait

Cela aiderait à régler les tensions.

suh-LAH eh-DRAY ah ray-GLAY lay tahn-SYOHN

That would help resolve the tensions.

The conditional form « aiderait » expresses a possible or hypothetical result: “would help”.

French Vocabulary

à travers prep

ah trah-VAIR through; across

à travers le mur

calme adj

KALM quiet; calm

clairement adv

klair-MAHN clearly

s'entend clairement

de votre côté phrase

duh VO-truh koh-TAY on your side

de votre côté

immeuble noun

ee-MUHBL building l'immeuble

mur noun

MUR wall le mur

perceptible adj

pair-sep-TEEBL noticeable; perceptible

s'entendre verb

sahn-TAHNDR to be audible; to carry s'entend

Votre musique s'entend clairement.

savoir verb

sah-VWAHR to know savais

Je ne savais pas...

signaler verb

see-nyah-LAY to mention; to point out

Je voulais vous signaler que...

surtout adv

soor-TOO mostly; especially

C'est surtout perceptible...

tard dans la nuit phrase

tahr dahn lah nwee late at night

perceptible tard dans la nuit

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I appreciate you being willing to talk about it.

Show Answer

Je vous remercie d'accepter d'en parler.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

mostly; especially

Show Answer

surtout

to mention; to point out

Show Answer

signaler

noticeable; perceptible

Show Answer

perceptible

clearly

Show Answer

clairement