About This Lesson
Use Politely discussing noise from a neighbor to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
隣の人は昨夜、かなりうるさかったね。
toh-NAH-ree no HEE-toh wah sah-KOO-yah, kah-nah-REE oo-roo-sah-KAHT-tah neh. The neighbor was quite noisy last night.
B
私たちが寝ようとしている間、大きな音の音楽が聞こえたよ。
wah-tah-shee-TAH-chee gah neh-YOH toh shee-TEH ee-roo ah-ee-dah, OH-kee-nah oh-toh nohn ohn-gah-KOO gah kee-koh-EH-tah yoh. I heard loud music while we were trying to sleep.
A
丁寧なメッセージを残そうか。
tee-neh-eh-nah meh-SSAY-jee oh noh-koh-SOH kah? Should we leave a polite message?
B
怒った感じではなく、親しみやすくしよう。
oh-KOHT-tah kahn-jee deh-wah nah-koo, shee-tah-shee-mee-yah-soo-koo shee-YOH. We should make it friendly, not angry.
A
騒音で私たちは眠れなかったと言うよ。
soh-OHN deh wah-tah-shee-TAH-chee wah neh-moo-reh-nah-KAHT-tah toh YOO yoh. I'll say the noise kept us from sleeping.
B
夕方は忙しくなることも分かっていると書き足そう。
yoo-GAH-tah wah ee-soh-gah-SHEE-koo nah-ROO koh-toh moh wah-KAHT-teh ee-ROO toh kah-kee-tah-SOH. Add that we know evenings can get busy.
A
そうすれば、メッセージがもっとやわらかく、分かりやすくなるね。
soh-oo soo-reh-bah, meh-SSAY-jee gah moht-toh yah-wah-rah-kah-koo, wah-kah-ree-yah-soo-koo nah-ROO neh. That keeps the message softer and clearer.
B
あとでそのメッセージを隣の人のドアの近くに置けるよ。
ah-toh-DEH soh-noh meh-SSAY-jee oh toh-NAH-ree no HEE-toh no doh-AH no CHEE-kah-koo nee oh-KEH-roo yoh. We can put it near their door later.Word by Word
隣
隣 means next door or neighboring here, as in 隣の人, the neighboring person. It is used before の to identify someone or something nearby.
の
の links 隣 and 人 in 隣の人, meaning the person who is next door. It commonly connects a describing noun to the noun that follows.
人
人 means person here, referring to the neighbor in 隣の人. It can identify a person after a place or relationship description.
は
は marks 隣の人 as the topic of the statement. The sentence then gives information about that person.
昨夜
昨夜 means last night and sets the time of the noise. It is placed before the rest of the statement to specify when something happened.
かなり
かなり means quite or considerably, showing that the noise was more than a little loud. It can be placed before a describing word to increase its strength.
うるさかった
うるさかった says that someone or something was noisy in the past; here it describes last night. In the sentence, it completes the description of 隣の人.
ね
ね presents the statement as something the speaker expects the other person to agree with, like “right?” here. It is useful when sharing an observation or seeking gentle agreement.
私たち
私たち means we or us and refers to the two people speaking. Here it identifies the people who were trying to sleep and heard the music.
が
が marks 私たち as the people carrying out the action in 私たちが寝ようとしている間. It commonly identifies the subject inside a clause.
寝よう
寝よう expresses the intention or attempt to sleep in 寝ようとしている間. Together with としている, it describes an action that was being attempted.
と
と connects 寝よう with している in 寝ようとしている間, forming the idea of trying or intending to sleep. This connection is used before している in this pattern.
して
して is the connecting form in 寝ようとしている, continuing into いる to describe the ongoing attempt. It helps link the intended action with the state that was in progress.
いる
いる shows that the attempt in 寝ようとしている was continuing at that time. With the surrounding words, it describes what was happening while the music was heard.
間
間 means while or during here, marking the period when 私たちが寝ようとしている. It follows a clause to describe the time during which another event happens.
大きな
大きな means big in its basic sense, but here it describes the music as loud in 大きな音の音楽. It is placed before a noun to describe its size or intensity.
音
音 means sound and appears in 大きな音の音楽 to describe the music through its loud sound. It can be used with 大きな to refer to a loud sound.
音楽
音楽 means music, the thing that was heard in the sentence. It is the main noun described by 大きな音の.
聞こえた
聞こえた means was heard or could be heard here, describing the loud music reaching the speakers' ears. It presents hearing as something perceived rather than an intentional act.
よ
よ adds emphasis and gives the listener information, as in “I heard it.” here. It is useful when informing someone or stressing a statement.
丁寧
丁寧 means polite here and describes the desired tone of the message. In 丁寧なメッセージ, it identifies the message as respectful in style.
な
な links 丁寧 to メッセージ in 丁寧なメッセージ. This form is used when a describing word of this type comes directly before a noun.
メッセージ
メッセージ means message, specifically the note they are planning to leave for the neighbor. It is the object marked by を in メッセージを残そうか.
を
を marks メッセージ as the thing they plan to leave in メッセージを残そうか. It commonly follows the direct object of an action.
残そう
残そう proposes leaving the message for the neighbor. Together with か, it makes a suggestion about what the speakers should do.
か
か turns 残そう into a suggestion or question, meaning “Shall we leave it?” here. It is used after a proposed action when asking for agreement.
怒った
怒った describes an angry tone or feeling in 怒った感じではなく. Here it identifies the kind of impression the message should avoid.
感じ
感じ means feeling, impression, or tone here, referring to how the message comes across. In 怒った感じではなく, it is the noun being described as angry or not angry.
で
で links 怒った感じ to the following negation in 怒った感じではなく, meaning “in an angry manner” or “as an angry tone.” It helps describe the form or manner something takes.
なく
なく continues the negative expression 怒った感じではなく, meaning not in an angry tone. It connects the avoided description with the positive choice 親しみやすくしよう.
親しみやすく
親しみやすく means in a friendly or approachable way here, describing the tone they want for the message. Its ending lets it connect with しよう in 親しみやすくしよう.
しよう
しよう proposes making the message have the quality described by 親しみやすく. Together, 親しみやすくしよう means that they should make it friendly.
騒音
騒音 means unwanted or disturbing noise here, referring to the neighbor's noise that affected their sleep. In 騒音で, the surrounding で presents that noise as the cause.
眠れなかった
眠れなかった means could not sleep, explaining the result of the noise. It is used here to state clearly what the noise prevented them from doing.
言う
言う means say or tell, and here it introduces the point the speaker plans to include in the message. It is used after the content that the speaker intends to communicate.
夕方
夕方 means evening or late afternoon, identifying the time of day being discussed. Here it is the time when things can sometimes become busy.
忙しく
忙しく means busy in the connected expression 忙しくなる, describing a change into a busy state. This form links the description to なる.
なる
なる means become or get, and 忙しくなる means get busy here. It is used after 忙しく to describe a change of state.
こと
こと turns the preceding idea 夕方は忙しくなる into a thing or fact that can be understood. In 夕方は忙しくなることも分かっている, it lets that whole idea function as the content of understanding.
も
も adds the sense of also or even to 夕方は忙しくなることも分かっている. Here it acknowledges that evenings can sometimes become busy as an additional point.
分かって
分かって means know or understand in the connected expression 分かっている. Here it shows that the speakers already understand the neighbor's situation, which makes the message gentler.
書き足そう
書き足そう proposes adding something in writing to the message. Here it suggests including the understanding expressed in 夕方は忙しくなることも分かっている.
そう
そう in そうすれば refers to the action or wording just discussed, meaning that way or if that is done. It points back to the proposed addition to the message.
すれば
すれば means if one does so or if that is done here, introducing the result of using the softer wording. It commonly follows そう to form そうすれば, “if we do that.”
もっと
もっと means more and increases the degree of the qualities that follow. Here it says the message will become more gentle and easier to understand.
やわらかく
やわらかく means softly or gently here, referring to the tone of the message rather than its physical texture. It connects with なる to describe how the message will come across.
分かりやすく
分かりやすく means easy to understand or clearly here, describing the message's effect on the reader. It connects with なる in 分かりやすくなる, meaning become easier to understand.
あと
あと means later in the time expression あとで, referring to a time after the message has been prepared. It is used with a time marker to indicate a later action.
その
その means that or the mentioned one here, referring back to the message already discussed. It comes directly before the noun it identifies, ドアではなく the understood message in the full sentence.
ドア
ドア means door, specifically the neighbor's door in the final line. It appears as the place near which the message can be put.
近く
近く means near or the vicinity, describing the area around the door. In ドアの近く, it follows the noun it is close to and is followed by に for location.
に
に marks ドアの近く as the location where the message can be placed. It commonly marks a destination or the location of an object after an action of placing.
置ける
置ける means can put or can place here, expressing the ability or possibility of leaving the message near the neighbor's door. It is used with a location marked by に.
Grammar Points
〜ようとしている
私たちは寝ようとしている。
wah-tah-shee-TAH-chee wah neh-YOH toh shee-TEH ee-ROO.We are trying to sleep.
The volitional form + としている expresses an attempt that is currently in progress.
〜が聞こえる
昨夜、騒音が聞こえた。
sah-KOO-yah, soh-OHN gah kee-koh-EH-tah.Noise was audible last night.
聞こえる means “be audible”; it describes sound reaching the listener, not actively listening.
Japanese Vocabulary
うるさい
adj
oo-roo-SAH-ee
noisy; loud
うるさかった
かなり
adv
kah-nah-REE
quite; fairly
メッセージ
noun
meh-SSAY-jee
message
音楽
noun
ohn-gah-KOO
music
間
noun
ah-ee-DAH
while; during
昨夜
noun
sah-KOO-yah
last night
私たち
pron
wah-tah-shee-TAH-chee
we; us
寝る
verb
neh-ROO
to sleep
寝ようとしている
大きな
adj
OH-kee-nah
big; loud
丁寧な
adj
tee-neh-eh-NAH
polite
聞こえる
verb
kee-koh-EH-roo
to be heard; to sound audible
聞こえた
隣の人
phrase
toh-NAH-ree no HEE-toh
neighbor
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
noisy; loud
Show Answer
うるさかったto sleep
Show Answer
寝ようとしているmessage
Show Answer
メッセージto be heard; to sound audible