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Lesson 226 of 240

New here? This is lesson 226 of a free 240-lesson French course.

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The noise next door in French

The walls on rue des Tilleuls are thin. Sam can hear the neighbour next door most evenings, and it is not Inès: she lives two floors below.

He knocks on the right door and keeps the talk kind. Vous, not tu: this neighbour is still a stranger.

By the end, you will name the noise, ask them to turn it down, and look for a deal without picking a fight.

By the end of this lesson

Raise a neighbour problem without making enemies.

  • Ces derniers temps, le soir, c'est un peu bruyant.Lately in the evenings it's a bit noisy.
  • Vous pourriez baisser un peu, s'il vous plaît ?Could you turn it down a bit, please?
  • Je ne vous fais pas de reproche.I'm not having a go at you.
  • Je sais que ce n'est pas simple non plus.I know it's not easy for you either.
  • On peut trouver un arrangement ?Can we work something out?
  • Merci d'avoir pris le temps d'écouter.Thanks for taking the time to listen.

Scene — thin walls

Evening on rue des Tilleuls. Music leaks through the wall next to Sam's door. Inès lives two floors below and is not the one making it.

Sam meets her on the stairs, then knocks next door. A stranger opens and waits in the doorway.

Sam stands small on a quiet side street at dusk looking up at one warm window beside a darker one on a limestone building lined with lime trees.

Learn — a kind ask

Six lines help you raise a noise problem without starting a fight.

You name the evenings, ask them to turn it down, and leave the door open for a deal.

  1. From high above, Sam pauses mid-step on a dim stairwell with a hand to the wall while Inès waits two steps below with a green bag.

    Ces derniers temps, le soir, c'est un peu bruyant.

    Lately in the evenings it's a bit noisy.

    When to use it: Use this when evenings have been noisy for a while, not just tonight.

    Ces derniers temps points to a stretch of days, not one single night.

    Say it: The s in temps is silent.

  2. A stranger opens the neighbour’s door with a phone in one hand while Sam waits on the landing.

    Vous pourriez baisser un peu, s'il vous plaît ?

    Could you turn it down a bit, please?

    When to use it: Ask a stranger or neighbour to turn the sound down.

    Pourriez with vous keeps the ask polite for someone you do not know.

    Say it: The z at the end of pourriez is silent.

  3. Over the stranger’s shoulder, Sam stands on the landing with both palms open in a conciliatory pose.

    Je ne vous fais pas de reproche.

    I'm not having a go at you.

    When to use it: Soften the ask so it does not sound like a fight.

    This line calms them: you name the noise without blaming the person.

  4. Close-up of Sam on the landing with head slightly tilted and shoulders dropped, the stranger at the edge of the frame.

    Je sais que ce n'est pas simple non plus.

    I know it's not easy for you either.

    When to use it: Show you see their side after you have named the problem.

    Non plus adds their side: the evenings are not easy for them either.

    Say it: The e drops in n'est, so it runs as one beat.

  5. From a low angle on the stairs, Sam offers an open hand toward the stranger who still waits in the doorway.

    On peut trouver un arrangement ?

    Can we work something out?

    When to use it: Offer a deal after you have named the problem.

    On here means the two of you looking for a deal together.

    Say it: The t in peut is silent.

  6. In profile on the landing, Sam gives a small nod as the stranger stays in the doorway.

    Merci d'avoir pris le temps d'écouter.

    Thanks for taking the time to listen.

    When to use it: Thank them after they have heard you out at the door.

    D'avoir plus the past form thanks them for something already done.

    Say it: The e in de is dropped in d'avoir and d'écouter.

Story — next door

Sam knocks next door, not two floors down. Watch him keep the talk kind.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. Inès is on the stairs with her green bag. Music comes through the door next to Sam's.
  2. InèsC'est pas moi, hein. Je suis deux étages plus bas.It's not me. I live two floors down.
  3. SamJe sais. C'est à côté.I know. It's next door.
  4. He knocks. A stranger opens, phone in hand.
  5. SamExcusez-moi.Excuse me.
  6. NeighbourBonsoir.Good evening.
  7. SamCes derniers temps, le soir, c'est un peu bruyant.Lately in the evenings it's a bit noisy.
  8. NeighbourAh. C'est la musique ? J'avais pas réalisé.Oh. Is it the music? I hadn't realised.
  9. SamVous pourriez baisser un peu, s'il vous plaît ?Could you turn it down a bit, please?
  10. NeighbourOui, je peux baisser. Les murs sont fins ici.Yes, I can turn it down. The walls are thin here.
  11. SamJe ne vous fais pas de reproche.I'm not having a go at you.
  12. NeighbourJe travaille tard, des fois.I work late, sometimes.
  13. SamJe sais que ce n'est pas simple non plus.I know it's not easy for you either.
  14. NeighbourOn est plusieurs. C'est pas simple, ouais.There are several of us. It's not easy, yeah.
  15. SamOn peut trouver un arrangement ?Can we work something out?
  16. NeighbourAprès vingt-deux heures, je baisse. Ça vous va ?After ten, I'll turn it down. Does that work for you?
  17. SamOui. Ça me va.Yes. That works for me.
  18. SamMerci d'avoir pris le temps d'écouter.Thanks for taking the time to listen.
  19. NeighbourMerci d'être venu me le dire comme ça.Thanks for coming to tell me like this.
  20. On the stairs, Inès waits with her green bag.
  21. InèsAlors ? Ça s'est bien passé ?So? Did it go all right?
  22. SamOui. On a trouvé un arrangement.Yes. We worked something out.

Practice — without a fight

Ten short exercises wait here. You will listen, fill a gap, swap a word, and build a line.

Keep the tone kind: you are still talking to a stranger.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. What does it mean?

    Ces derniers temps, le soir, c'est un peu bruyant.

  3. What do you say?

    The neighbour left the music on. Ask them, politely, to turn it down.

  4. Pick the reply

    Neighbour says:

    Vous êtes fâché, c'est ça ?

    You're angry with me, is that it?

    And you reply with:

  5. Fill the gap

    I know it's not easy for you either.

    Je sais que ce n'est pas ____ non plus.

  6. Swap the word

    You want a deal, not an order.

    On ____ trouver un arrangement ?

  7. Build the line

    Thanks for taking the time to listen.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  8. Match the pairs

    French

    Ces derniers temps, le soir, c'est un peu bruyant.Drop the English here
    Je ne vous fais pas de reproche.Drop the English here
    On peut trouver un arrangement ?Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its French, or tap one and then the other.

  9. True or false?

    You use this evening hello when you knock after dark.

  10. What do you say?

    A friend asks if you and the new neighbour can switch to tu. Keep the formal you.

Say it — at the door

Now you are Sam on the landing. When it is your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. NeighbourBonsoir.Good evening.
  2. Sam (you)Name the evenings: it has been a bit loud.

    Ces derniers temps, le soir, c'est un peu bruyant.

    Lately in the evenings it's a bit noisy.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Ces derniers temps, le soir, c'est un peu bruyant.Lately in the evenings it's a bit noisy.
Vous pourriez baisser un peu, s'il vous plaît ?Could you turn it down a bit, please?
Je ne vous fais pas de reproche.I'm not having a go at you.
Je sais que ce n'est pas simple non plus.I know it's not easy for you either.
On peut trouver un arrangement ?Can we work something out?
Merci d'avoir pris le temps d'écouter.Thanks for taking the time to listen.
Next: lesson 227Accepting a complaint

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A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps the kind ask ready for the landing.

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