Calmly Addressing a Noise Issue with a Neighbor | Learn Korean in English

Sentence explanations

1. 벽을 통해 음악이 꽤 또렷하게 들린다는 말씀을 드리고 싶었어요.

   I wanted to mention that your music carries clearly through the wall.

   벽을

   the wall

   통해

   through

   음악이

   music

   꽤

   quite

   또렷하게

   clearly

   들린다는

   that it is heard

   말씀을

   remark

   드리고 싶었어요

   wanted to say or convey respectfully

   More detail

   벽을 contains 벽 “wall” plus the object marker -을. Here it marks the wall as the surface or barrier that the sound passes through. The noun itself is not marked for number. 통해 is the form of 통하다 used in the pattern N을/를 통해 (“through N,” “via N”). Thus 벽을 통해 gives the route of the sound. Example: 인터넷을 통해 소식을 들었어요. means “I heard the news through the internet.” 음악이 contains 음악 “music” and the subject marker -이. In this sentence, the music is what is audible; the fixed translation identifies it as the addressee’s music. The subject marker -이 follows a noun ending in a consonant; after a vowel-ending noun, -가 is used instead. 꽤 means “quite” or “fairly” and modifies the following description of how clearly the music can be heard. It expresses a noticeable degree, but does not by itself mean “very.” 또렷하게 is the adverbial form of 또렷하다, “to be clear, distinct, or easy to make out.” The ending -하게 lets this descriptive word modify an action or state: 또렷하게 들리다 means “to be heard clearly.” Example: 목소리가 또렷하게 들려요. means “The voice can be heard clearly.” 들린다는 is based on the intransitive verb 들리다, “to be heard” or “to be audible.” Here it presents the proposition 음악이 꽤 또렷하게 들린다 as the content of what is said: …들린다는 말씀 means “the statement that … can be heard.” The form -다는 is a present declarative content form; it is not the verb 듣다 (“to listen to/hear” as an experiencer’s action). In this context, 들리다 focuses on the music being audible through the wall. 말씀을 contains 말씀, an honorific noun meaning “words,” “remark,” or “statement,” plus the object marker -을. 말씀 is used respectfully for the content of speech; it is not simply a special form of every occurrence of 말. In …다는 말씀을 드리다, it forms a respectful expression meaning “to say or mention that ….” 드리고 싶었어요 combines 드리다, the humble form used for “to give” and, in this expression, “to say or convey respectfully,” with -고 싶다 (“want to do”) and the past polite form 싶었어요. The past form presents the desire as “wanted to,” rather than simply “want to.” Example: 도움을 드리고 싶어요. means “I want to help.” Together, 벽을 통해 sets the route, 음악이 꽤 또렷하게 들린다는 gives the content “that the music carries through quite clearly,” and 말씀을 드리고 싶었어요 politely expresses the past intention to mention it. The whole utterance therefore means: “I wanted to mention that your music carries clearly through the wall.”

2. 옆집까지 들리는 줄은 몰랐어요.

   I did not realize it was reaching your side.

   옆집

   next door

   까지

   as far as; up to

   들리는

   being heard; carrying

   줄은 몰랐어요

   I did not realize that…

   More detail

   옆집 means “the next-door household/neighboring house.” It is a noun built from 옆 (“side”) and 집 (“house”), but learn 옆집 as the ordinary word for a neighboring household. Example: 옆집에 새 사람이 이사 왔어요. — “New people moved in next door.” 까지 marks the endpoint or extent reached: “as far as” or “even to.” Here it says that the sound reaches the next-door household, not merely that the household is mentioned. Example: 소리가 밖까지 들려요. — “The sound can be heard as far as outside.” 들리는 comes from the verb 들리다, “to be heard” or, for sound, “to carry/reach someone’s ears.” The form 들리는 is the present attributive form: 들리다 → 들리는, meaning “that is heard” or “that carries.” It does not mean that the next-door household is actively listening; the sound is perceivable there. In this context, the surrounding sentences support a reading about music carrying through the wall. Example: 밖에서 음악이 들려요. — “Music can be heard from outside.” 줄은 몰랐어요 is a reusable pattern meaning “I did not know/realize that …” The noun 줄 turns the preceding clause into something treated as known or unknown, and 은 gives that information topic or contrastive focus. 몰랐어요 is the polite past form of 모르다 (“not know”): 모르다 → 몰랐어요. The past form presents the lack of realization as true at the relevant earlier point. Example: 이렇게 늦을 줄은 몰랐어요. — “I didn’t realize it would be this late.” Together, 옆집까지 들리는 describes sound that carries as far as the next-door household, and 줄은 몰랐어요 says that the speaker had not realized this fact. The complete meaning is: “I did not realize it was reaching your side,” with the context making the reaching sound/music the relevant subject. This is a polite way to acknowledge a previously unrecognized extent of audibility.

3. 건물이 조용한 늦은 밤에 특히 잘 들려요.

   It is mostly noticeable late at night, when the building is quiet.

   건물이

   the building

   조용한

   quiet

   늦은

   late

   밤에

   at night

   특히

   especially

   잘

   well; clearly

   들려요

   is audible; can be heard

   More detail

   건물이 contains 건물 (“building”) and the subject particle 이. Here, the building is the subject of 조용한, so the phrase says that the building is quiet. 조용한 is the attributive form of 조용하다 (“to be quiet”). It modifies the following noun: 조용한 방 means “a quiet room.” In this sentence, it forms 건물이 조용한 늦은 밤, “a late night when the building is quiet.” 늦은 is the attributive form of 늦다 (“to be late”), modifying 밤 (“night”). Thus 늦은 밤 means “a late night.” The adverbial form 늦게 means “late” when it describes an action or event. 밤에 combines 밤 (“night”) with 에, which commonly marks a time or time period. Here it means “at night.” For example, 밤에 공부해요 means “I study at night.” 특히 means “especially” and highlights this time as the particularly noticeable one. For example, 겨울에 특히 추워요 means “It is especially cold in winter.” 잘 means “well” or, with a hearing-related verb, “clearly/easily.” With 들려요, it says that the sound is easy to hear. It is separate from 특히, which means “especially.” 들려요 is the polite present form of 들리다 in its relevant sense, “to be heard” or “to be audible.” It presents the sound as reaching the listener’s hearing, rather than as someone deliberately listening. Do not confuse it with 들어요: 듣다 (“to hear; listen”) has the irregular present form 들어요, while 들다 (“to lift; hold; enter,” among other context-dependent meanings) also has the present form 들어요. The forms are distinguished by their base verbs and context; 들려요 is the form used here. Together, 건물이 조용한 modifies 늦은 밤, giving “a late night when the building is quiet.” 특히 잘 들려요 says that it is especially easy to hear at that time. The whole utterance means: “It is mostly noticeable late at night, when the building is quiet.”

4. 저음을 낮추고 스피커를 벽에서 멀리 옮길 수 있어요.

   I can lower the bass and move the speakers away from the wall.

   저음

   bass

   낮추고

   lower and

   스피커

   speaker(s)

   벽

   wall

   멀리

   far away

   옮길 수 있어요

   can move

   More detail

   저음 means bass or low-frequency sound. In 저음을, -을 marks it as the object of the action. The noun itself refers specifically to the low part of a sound range, not to volume in general. 낮추고 comes from the verb 낮추다, “to lower.” The ending -고 connects this action to the following action: A-고 B means “do A and B” here. Example: 소리를 낮추고 문을 닫아요. — “I lower the sound and close the door.” 스피커 means speaker. In 스피커를, -를 marks it as the object of the moving action. Korean does not require a plural marker here, while the fixed translation identifies the intended meaning as plural. 벽 means wall. In 벽에서, -에서 marks the wall as the point of reference from which the speakers are moved away. This differs from 벽을, where -을 would mark the wall as a direct object. 멀리 is the adverb “far away” or “at a distance.” Together, 벽에서 멀리 means “far away from the wall”; it describes the distance of the speakers from that reference point. 옮길 수 있어요 expresses ability: “can move.” The verb is 옮기다, “to move or relocate something.” Its form 옮길 is used before 수 있다 in the ability pattern 동사-(으)ㄹ 수 있다. 있어요 is the polite present form of 있다; in this construction, it completes the meaning “be able to.” Example: 의자를 옮길 수 있어요. — “I can move the chair.” Here, the final ability expression applies to the two actions linked by -고: 저음을 낮추고 ... 옮길 수 있어요 means “can lower the bass and move the speakers.” Thus 저음을 낮추고 contributes “lower the bass,” while 스피커를 벽에서 멀리 옮길 수 있어요 contributes “can move the speakers far away from the wall.” The complete utterance is: “I can lower the bass and move the speakers away from the wall.”

5. 그러면 도움이 될 것 같아요. 특히 평일 밤에는요.

   That would help, especially on work nights.

   그러면

   then; in that case

   도움이

   help

   될 것 같아요

   seems likely to be

   특히

   especially

   평일

   workday; weekday

   밤에는요

   on nights; as for nights

   More detail

   그러면 means “then” or “in that case.” It connects the current conclusion to something proposed or described earlier. A reusable pattern is 그러면 + conclusion: 그러면 시작할게요. — “Then I’ll start.” 도움이 is the noun 도움 (“help”) with the subject marker 이. The common expression 도움이 되다 literally presents help as something that “becomes,” and naturally means “to be helpful” or “to help.” In this sentence, 도움이 is the subject of 될. 될 것 같아요 uses 되다 (“to become; to be”) in its form 될 before 것, followed by 같아요 (“seems/is likely”). The pattern 동사-(으)ㄹ 것 같아요 expresses a speaker’s expectation or judgment about what seems likely: 비가 올 것 같아요. — “It looks like it will rain.” Here, 도움이 될 것 같아요 means “it seems likely to help” or naturally, “I think that will help.” 같아요 ends politely with 요; it does not by itself identify the omitted subject. In this fixed translation, “that” refers to the proposed adjustment or action. 특히 means “especially” and highlights one part of the statement. It can modify a time, person, place, or action: 특히 아침에 바빠요. — “I’m especially busy in the morning.” 평일 means “weekday” or “workday,” in contrast with 주말 (“weekend”). It commonly combines with time nouns, as in 평일 아침 (“weekday morning”) and 평일 밤 (“weekday night”). 밤에는요 consists of 밤 (“night”), 에 for a time setting (“at/on”), 는 for topic or contrast, and the polite ending 요. The quoted form therefore presents nighttime as the topic: “as for nights” or “especially on nights.” The 는 can make this time frame stand out without asserting that other times are excluded. Together, 그러면 도움이 될 것 같아요 says “Then/in that case, I think that will help.” 특히 평일 밤에는요 narrows the helpfulness to weekday nights, yielding: “That would help, especially on work nights.”

6. 그렇게 바꾼 뒤에도 충분하지 않으면 말씀해 주세요.

   Please tell me if the change is not enough.

   그렇게

   that way; like that

   바꾼

   changed

   뒤에도

   even after

   충분하지 않으면

   if it is not enough

   말씀해 주세요

   please tell me

   More detail

   그렇게 means “in that way” or “like that.” It is an adverb describing how the change is made. Its exact referent is supplied by the situation, so this form is reusable whenever you want to describe a manner already understood. 바꾼 comes from 바꾸다, “to change” or “to modify.” 바꾼 is the form used before a noun-like expression such as 뒤 to describe a completed or relevant change: 바꾼 뒤 = “after changing it” or “after the change.” The form does not by itself identify who made the change. Example: 내용을 바꾼 뒤 다시 확인하세요. — “After changing the content, check again.” 뒤에도 combines 뒤 (“after” or “behind”), 에 (marking the time or point), and 도 (“even” or “also”). In this sentence, -ㄴ 뒤에도 means “even after …” and emphasizes that the following condition can remain true despite the earlier change. Example: 설명한 뒤에도 모르겠으면 물어보세요. — “If you still do not understand even after I explain it, ask.” 충분하지 않으면 means “if it is not enough.” 충분하다 means “to be sufficient,” and 충분하지 않다 is its negative form, “to be insufficient.” The ending -(으)면 makes a condition: 충분하지 않으면 = “if it is not sufficient.” The thing judged sufficient is understood from the context; here, the fixed translation identifies it as the change or its result. Example: 시간이 충분하지 않으면 내일 하세요. — “If there is not enough time, do it tomorrow.” 말씀해 주세요 is a polite request meaning “please tell me” or “please let me know.” 말씀하다 is an honorific verb related to 말하다, “to speak” or “to say,” and 말씀해 is its form used before 주세요. The pattern V-아/어 주세요 politely asks someone to do V for the speaker. Example: 도착하면 말씀해 주세요. — “Please let me know when you arrive.” Together, 그렇게 바꾼 뒤에도 means “even after changing it that way,” 충분하지 않으면 means “if it is not enough,” and 말씀해 주세요 makes the polite request “please tell me.” The whole utterance is therefore: “If it is still not enough even after changing it that way, please tell me.”

7. 이 문제에 대해 기꺼이 이야기해 주셔서 감사해요.

   I appreciate you being willing to talk about it.

   이

   this

   문제

   issue; problem

   에 대해

   about; regarding

   기꺼이

   willingly

   이야기해 주셔서

   for kindly talking

   감사해요

   I appreciate it; thank you

   More detail

   이 means “this” here and points to the issue named by the following noun, 문제; the fixed translation identifies that issue as “it.” Korean demonstratives such as 이 are used for a referent treated as near the speaker or currently salient. In 이 문제, it modifies 문제 rather than standing alone. 문제 means “problem” or “issue.” It is a noun and can combine with particles: 문제에 대해 means “about the issue.” A useful contrast is 해결하다 “to solve,” as in 문제를 해결하다 (“solve a problem”); the noun itself does not express solving. 에 대해 is a postpositional pattern meaning “about” or “regarding.” The particle 에 follows the noun phrase, and 대해 supplies the “concerning” relation. The same pattern is reusable with other nouns, for example 그 질문에 대해 이야기하다 means “talk about that question.” 기꺼이 is an adverb meaning “willingly” or “readily.” It describes the attitude toward the action that follows, so 기꺼이 이야기하다 means “be willing to talk.” It does not itself mark who is willing; that participant is understood from the surrounding construction and the fixed translation. 이야기해 주셔서 is the end of a clause meaning “for talking” or, more fully here, “for kindly talking.” 이야기하다 is the verb “to talk”; its 해 form connects it to the auxiliary 주다, which presents the action as done as a favor for someone. In 주셔서, 주시어서 is contracted: 주다 carries the honorific marker -시-, and -어서 connects the reason to the following expression. Thus 이야기해 주셔서 감사해요 is a polite way to thank someone for talking. 감사해요 is the polite present-style form of 감사하다, “to be thankful” or “to appreciate.” The -해요 ending gives a polite conversational style. Here it expresses the speaker’s appreciation, while the preceding -어서 clause gives what is appreciated. Together, 이 문제에 대해 sets the topic as “about this issue,” 기꺼이 이야기해 주셔서 says that the addressee willingly talked as a favor, and 감사해요 expresses the speaker’s thanks. The complete meaning is: “I appreciate you being willing to talk about it.”

8. 이 문제가 긴장으로 번지기 전에 해결하는 게 더 나아요.

   It is better to sort this out before it turns into tension.

   이

   this

   문제

   problem

   긴장

   tension

   번지기 전에

   before spreading

   해결하는 게

   solving it

   더 나아요

   is better

   More detail

   이 is a demonstrative modifier meaning “this.” It comes before the noun it describes, as in 이 문제 (“this problem”). Its form does not itself identify a person or a particular kind of problem; here the fixed translation supports “this problem.” 문제 means “problem” or “issue.” It is a noun and can be used in reusable patterns such as 문제를 해결하다 (“solve a problem”) and 문제에 대해 이야기하다 (“talk about a problem”). In the fixed sentence, it appears with the subject marker 가 as 문제가; that marker belongs to the larger clause and is not included in this phrase entry. 긴장 means “tension.” With the following particle 으로, which is outside this phrase entry, 긴장으로 marks the state or result into which something develops. The noun itself is unchanged here. 번지기 전에 comes from 번지다, “to spread” or “to extend,” plus -기 전에, “before doing” or “before something happens.” Thus 번지기 전에 means “before spreading” in this sentence. The pattern A-기 전에 B places B before A: 잠자기 전에 책을 읽어요 means “I read a book before going to bed.” In 긴장으로 번지다, the spreading is understood as developing into tension. 해결하는 게 comes from 해결하다, “to solve” or “to resolve.” 해결하는 uses -는 to modify 것, giving the action “solving” or “resolving”; 게 is the conversational contraction of 것이. The pattern V-는 게 좋다/낫다 evaluates an action, as in 지금 확인하는 게 좋아요 (“It is good to check now”). Here the action is resolving the problem identified by the fixed translation; Korean leaves the object of 해결하다 unexpressed in this clause. 나아요 is the polite present form of 낫다, “to be better.” This adjective has the irregular change 낫다 → 나아요: the final ㅅ is not retained before the vowel-initial ending -아요. It should not be confused with 낳다 (“to give birth” or “to produce”), which is a different verb. With 더, the expression 더 나아요 means “is better.” Together, 이 문제가 긴장으로 번지기 전에 means “before this problem develops into tension.” 해결하는 게 presents resolving the problem as the action being evaluated, and 더 나아요 says that this is better. The whole utterance therefore means: “It is better to sort this out before it turns into tension.” The ending -요 makes the statement politely conversational.