Discussing a Noisy Neighbor Politely | Learn Dutch in English

Dutch lesson set in a contemporary Amsterdam everyday setting: At home, two adults plan a friendly message about noise from a neighbor that kept them from sleeping..

EN → NL / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Discussing a Noisy Neighbor Politely to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

De buur was gisteravond nogal luidruchtig.

duh BUUR vahs KHIS-ter-ah-vont NOH-gahl LOWT-rukh-tukh. The neighbor was quite noisy last night.
B

Ik hoorde harde muziek terwijl we probeerden te slapen.

ik HOHR-duh HAH-duh myoo-ZEEK tuh-VILE vuh proh-BEER-dun tuh SLAH-pun. I heard loud music while we were trying to sleep.
A

Zullen we een beleefd bericht achterlaten?

ZUL-un vuh un buh-LAYFT buh-RIKHT AKH-ter-LAH-tun? Should we leave a polite message?
B

We moeten het vriendelijk houden, niet boos laten klinken.

vuh MOOT-un ut VREEN-duh-luk HOW-dun, neet BOHS LAH-tun KLINK-un. We should make it friendly, not angry.
A

Ik zal zeggen dat we door het lawaai niet konden slapen.

ik zahl ZEKH-un daht vuh DOHR ut luh-WAHY neet KON-dun SLAH-pun. I'll say the noise kept us from sleeping.
B

Voeg toe dat we weten dat avonden druk kunnen zijn.

VOOKH TOO daht vuh VAY-tun daht AH-von-dun DRUK KUN-un zine. Add that we know evenings can get busy.
A

Daardoor klinkt het bericht zachter en duidelijker.

DAHR-dohr KLINKT ut buh-RIKHT ZAKH-tur un DOW-duh-luh-kur. That keeps the message softer and clearer.
B

We kunnen het later bij hun deur leggen.

vuh KUN-un ut LAH-tur BYE hun DUR LEKH-un. We can put it near their door later.

Word by Word

De In this dialogue, "De" means "the" before the neighbor in "De buur". It is used with a specific noun, such as "De buur"; use it when referring to a particular person or thing.
buur In "De buur", "buur" means "neighbor". The word identifies the person living nearby, so you can use "De buur" when discussing that person at home.
was In this dialogue, "was" means "was" and describes the neighbor’s state last night. It is the past form used with "De buur" in "De buur was gisteravond nogal luidruchtig"; use this pattern to describe a past situation.
gisteravond "Gisteravond" means "last night" and gives the time of the noisy situation. It is used as a time expression in "was gisteravond"; use it when talking about the previous evening.
nogal Here, "nogal" means "quite" or "rather" and strengthens the description "nogal luidruchtig". It is placed before the description, so use "nogal" when you want to say that something has a fairly strong quality.
luidruchtig In this dialogue, "luidruchtig" means "noisy" and describes the neighbor. It follows "was" in "was gisteravond nogal luidruchtig"; use it to describe a person or situation that makes a lot of noise.
Ik "Ik" means "I" and marks the speaker as the person who heard the music. It is the subject in "Ik hoorde harde muziek"; use it at the start when describing your own experience.
hoorde In "Ik hoorde harde muziek", "hoorde" means "heard" and refers to something the speaker perceived. It is the past form used with "Ik"; use this pattern when reporting what you heard.
harde "Harde" means "loud" here and describes the music in "harde muziek". It comes directly before "muziek"; use the same adjective-plus-noun pattern when describing the volume of music.
muziek In this dialogue, "muziek" means "music", specifically the loud music that was heard. It is the object in "Ik hoorde harde muziek"; use it when talking about music as something you hear.
terwijl "Terwijl" means "while" and connects the music being heard with the attempt to sleep. In "terwijl we probeerden te slapen", it introduces the activity happening at the same time; use it to link two simultaneous actions.
we "We" means "we" and refers to the people trying to sleep. It is the subject in "we probeerden te slapen"; use it when speaking about yourself together with other people.
probeerden In "we probeerden te slapen", "probeerden" means "tried" and describes an attempt to sleep. It is used with "we" and followed by "te slapen"; use this pattern when describing an attempt to do something.
te Here, "te" is used before "slapen" to connect the attempt with the action being attempted. The exact pattern is "probeerden te slapen"; use "te" before the following verb in this kind of attempt construction.
slapen "Slapen" means "sleep" in the construction "te slapen". It names the action the speakers were trying to do; use it after "te" in this pattern.
Zullen At the start of "Zullen we een beleefd bericht achterlaten?", "Zullen" introduces a suggestion meaning "Shall we...?". Use "Zullen we" when proposing a joint action politely.
een In "een beleefd bericht", "een" means "a" and introduces one unspecified message. It comes before the description and noun; use it when mentioning something that has not been identified as a specific item.
beleefd "Beleefd" means "polite" and describes the message the speakers want to leave. It appears in "een beleefd bericht"; use it before a noun when describing respectful communication.
bericht In this dialogue, "bericht" means "message" and refers to the note for the neighbor. It is the object in "een beleefd bericht achterlaten"; use it when discussing a written or spoken message.
achterlaten "Achterlaten" means "leave behind" in "een beleefd bericht achterlaten". It is the action proposed after "Zullen we"; use this pattern when saying that someone will leave an item somewhere.
moeten In "We moeten het vriendelijk houden", "moeten" expresses that the speakers should or must keep the message friendly. It is used with "We" and followed by the action "het vriendelijk houden"; use it to give advice or state an obligation.
het In "het vriendelijk houden", "het" means "it" and refers to the message. The same form appears in "het bericht" with the meaning "the"; use the surrounding words to identify which function it has.
vriendelijk Here, "vriendelijk" means "friendly" and describes the intended tone of the message. It is part of "het vriendelijk houden"; use this pattern when saying that something should remain friendly.
houden In "het vriendelijk houden", "houden" contributes the meaning "keep", as in keeping the message friendly. It follows "moeten" in "We moeten het vriendelijk houden"; use this construction when maintaining a particular quality.
niet "Niet" means "not" and negates the angry way the message might sound. In "niet boos laten klinken", it comes before the description and action; use it to reject or deny a quality or action.
boos In "niet boos laten klinken", "boos" means "angry" and describes how the message should not sound. It is used to describe the tone of communication; use it when discussing an angry attitude or impression.
laten Here, "laten" helps express making the message sound a certain way in "boos laten klinken". Together with "klinken", it describes the intended effect on the message; use this construction when controlling how something comes across.
klinken In "niet boos laten klinken", "klinken" means "sound" and refers to the impression made by the message. It follows "laten" in this construction; use it when describing how a statement or message comes across.
zal In "Ik zal zeggen", "zal" expresses the speaker’s intention to say something. It is used with "Ik" and followed by "zeggen"; use this pattern when stating what you will do.
zeggen "Zeggen" means "say" in "Ik zal zeggen dat...". It names the communication action after "zal"; use this pattern when introducing the content you intend to say.
dat In "Ik zal zeggen dat we door het lawaai niet konden slapen", "dat" introduces the content of what will be said. Use it to connect a statement with the information being reported.
door Here, "door" means "because of" and introduces the cause in "door het lawaai". It links the noise to the inability to sleep; use this preposition before a cause in a similar explanation.
lawaai In "door het lawaai", "lawaai" means "noise" and is presented as the cause of the sleeping problem. It follows "het" in the cause phrase; use it when referring to unwanted or noticeable noise.
konden In "we door het lawaai niet konden slapen", "konden" means "could" and describes the speakers’ inability to sleep because of the noise. It is used with "niet" before "slapen"; use this pattern when explaining that a past situation prevented an action.
Voeg At the start of "Voeg toe", "Voeg" means "add" and gives a direct instruction. Together with "toe", it tells someone to include more information; use "Voeg toe" when asking someone to add something.
toe In "Voeg toe", "toe" contributes the idea of adding something to what is already there. It completes the instruction with "Voeg"; use the exact expression "Voeg toe" when requesting an addition.
weten In "we weten dat avonden druk kunnen zijn", "weten" means "know" and refers to shared awareness. It is followed by "dat" and the information known; use this pattern when stating that someone knows a fact.
avonden "Avonden" means "evenings" and refers to evenings that may be busy. It is the subject in "avonden druk kunnen zijn"; use it when discussing evening time in general.
kunnen In "avonden druk kunnen zijn", "kunnen" means "can" and expresses the possibility that evenings are busy. It comes before "zijn"; use this pattern when describing a possible situation.
zijn Here, "zijn" means "be" and connects "avonden" with the description "druk". It follows "kunnen" in "druk kunnen zijn"; use it after a modal expression when describing a state.
druk In "avonden druk kunnen zijn", "druk" means "busy" and describes the evenings. It appears before "kunnen zijn" as the description of the subject; use it when explaining that a time or situation has many activities.
Daardoor "Daardoor" means "as a result" and links the added information to the softer, clearer effect on the message. It appears at the start of "Daardoor klinkt het bericht zachter en duidelijker"; use it to introduce a result caused by something previously mentioned.
zachter In this dialogue, "zachter" means "softer" and describes the tone of the message. It is paired with "duidelijker" in "zachter en duidelijker"; use this form when comparing a tone with a less gentle one.
en "En" means "and" and joins the two descriptions "zachter" and "duidelijker". Use it to connect two qualities or actions in the same statement.
duidelijker Here, "duidelijker" means "clearer" and describes the result of the message wording. It is joined to "zachter" in "zachter en duidelijker"; use this form when saying that something is easier to understand than before.
bij In "bij hun deur", "bij" means "near" or "at" and indicates the location where the message will be placed. Use it before a place or object to describe something being located nearby or at that spot.
hun "Hun" means "their" and refers to the neighbors’ door in "hun deur". It comes directly before the noun; use it to show that something belongs to or is associated with other people.
deur In this dialogue, "deur" means "door" and identifies the place near which the message will be put. It appears in "bij hun deur"; use it when describing a location at someone’s entrance.
leggen "Leggen" means "put" or "lay" in "het later bij hun deur leggen". It is the action that can be done with the message and follows "kunnen"; use this pattern when describing placing something somewhere.
later "Later" means "later" and indicates that the message will be placed at a subsequent time. It appears in "het later bij hun deur leggen"; use it when referring to a time after the current moment.

Grammar Points

zachter

De muziek klinkt zachter.

duh myoo-ZEEK KLINKT ZAKH-tur.

The music sounds softer.

Dutch comparatives often add -er to the adjective: zacht → zachter. No separate word for “more” is needed.

Dutch Vocabulary

beleefd adj
buh-LAYFT polite
bericht noun
buh-RIKHT message
buur noun
BUUR neighbor
gisteravond adv
KHIS-ter-ah-vont last night
hard adj
HAHRT loud harde
horen verb
HOHR-un to hear hoorde
luidruchtig adj
LOWT-rukh-tukh noisy
muziek noun
myoo-ZEEK music
nogal adv
NOH-gahl quite
proberen verb
proh-BEER-un to try probeerden
slapen verb
SLAH-pun to sleep
terwijl conj
tuh-VILE while

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

The neighbor was quite noisy last night.

Show AnswerDe buur was gisteravond nogal luidruchtig.

Should we leave a polite message?

Show AnswerZullen we een beleefd bericht achterlaten?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

while

Show Answerterwijl

quite

Show Answernogal

last night

Show Answergisteravond

to hear

Show Answerhoorde