Simplified Chinese course

Lesson 226 of 240

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The noise next door in Simplified Chinese

The scooter shop under Maya's apartment starts its compressor at six. She needs sleep, but she also needs neighbors she can still greet.

Learn six lines for raising a noise problem without turning it into a fight. Soften the complaint, see their side, and ask for a plan.

A-Jie knows the shop. He walks over with her. A-Li's soy milk stays unfinished on the back table.

By the end of this lesson

Raise a noise problem with a neighbor without turning it into a fight.

  • 最近晚上有点吵It's been a bit noisy at night lately.
  • 可以请你小声一点吗？Could you keep it down?
  • 我不是在责怪你I'm not blaming you.
  • 我知道你也很辛苦I know you're having a hard time too.
  • 我们可以想个办法吗？Can we think of a solution?
  • 谢谢你愿意听Thanks for being willing to listen.

Scene — the shop downstairs

Maya lives above the scooter shop on Banyan Lane. Before sunrise the compressor starts, and the whole stairwell hums.

She stops at Banyan Breakfast first. Auntie Lin sees the tired look. A-Jie offers to come along so the talk stays friendly.

A-Li stays at the back table on two stools. His soy milk is still unfinished; that is not a puzzle to solve today.

Inside the breakfast shop before the lane fully wakes, tired Maya stands at the counter, Auntie Lin leans in, and A-Jie waits with a helmet.

Learn — a calm neighbor ask

Here are six everyday lines that help you raise a noise problem and still keep a neighbor on your side.

Listen to each line, then say it out loud. Notice how the ask stays soft: you name the noise, you refuse blame, and you look for a plan.

  1. On the lane at the open scooter shop, Maya points up the stairwell toward the rooms above while a mechanic listens and A-Jie stands behind Maya.

    最近晚上有点吵

    It's been a bit noisy at night lately.

    When to use it: Name a recent night-time noise without sounding angry.

    有点 softens 吵, so the complaint stays mild.

  2. Maya presses both palms gently downward in a keep-it-down plea while the mechanic freezes at the compressor and A-Jie watches from the side.

    可以请你小声一点吗？

    Could you keep it down?

    When to use it: Ask someone politely to lower their volume.

    可以...吗 turns the request into a question, not an order.

    Say it: The 一 before a third-tone syllable takes a falling fourth tone.

  3. Maya softens the talk with a head-shake and a hand on the chest toward the mechanic, who lets both shoulders drop while A-Jie steps in with a small nod.

    我不是在责怪你

    I'm not blaming you.

    When to use it: Soften a complaint so the other person does not feel attacked.

    不是在 plus a verb means you are not doing that action.

    Say it: 不 rises before a fourth-tone 是.

  4. Maya tips the head in sympathy toward the worn-out mechanic and the cluttered shop while A-Jie crouches at a parked scooter and leaves them space.

    我知道你也很辛苦

    I know you're having a hard time too.

    When to use it: Show you see the other person's effort before you ask for change.

    也 marks that their hardship is shared, so the request feels fair.

  5. Maya sweeps a hand toward the mechanic and then to the compressor in a let's-solve-this motion while the mechanic thinks and A-Jie offers a folded rubber mat.

    我们可以想个办法吗？

    Can we think of a solution?

    When to use it: Invite the other person to solve the problem with you.

    个 is the measure word that sits between 想 and 办法.

  6. Maya gives a small grateful bow to the mechanic, who nods back, while A-Jie stands at the curb with a thumbs-up.

    谢谢你愿意听

    Thanks for being willing to listen.

    When to use it: Thank someone who stayed and heard you out.

    愿意 marks that they chose to listen, not that they had to.

Story — talking to the shop

Listen as Maya tells Auntie Lin about the early compressor, then walks next door with A-Jie.

She raises the problem without blaming the shop, and they look for a time that works.

  1. Auntie Lin美女，没睡饱喔？Didn't get enough sleep, beautiful?
  2. Maya最近晚上有点吵。It's been a bit noisy at night lately.
  3. A-Li楼下那间摩托车行吗？The scooter shop downstairs?
  4. Maya对，压缩机常常六点就开始。Yes, the compressor often starts at six.
  5. Auntie Lin阿杰认识老板，等他来。A-Jie knows the owner; wait for him.
  6. A-Jie comes in from a scooter run and sets his helmet down.
  7. A-Jie怎么了？What's wrong?
  8. Maya我想跟他们说，可是不想吵架。I want to talk to them, but I don't want a fight.
  9. A-Jie走，我陪你去。Come on, I'll go with you.
  10. They stop at the scooter shop under Maya's stairs.
  11. Maya不好意思。Excuse me.
  12. Staff怎么了？What's wrong?
  13. Maya最近晚上有点吵。It's been a bit noisy at night lately.
  14. Maya可以请你小声一点吗？Could you keep it down?
  15. Staff是我们太大声喔？Are we too loud?
  16. Maya我不是在责怪你。I'm not blaming you.
  17. Maya我知道你也很辛苦。I know you're having a hard time too.
  18. Staff对，压缩机早上六点就要开。Right, the compressor has to start at six in the morning.
  19. Maya可是六点还是很早。But six is still really early.
  20. Maya我们可以想个办法吗？Can we think of a solution?
  21. A-Jie晚一点再开，好不好？Start it a bit later, okay?
  22. Staff好喔，我跟老板讲。All right, I'll tell the owner.
  23. Maya谢谢你愿意听。Thanks for being willing to listen.
  24. Back at Banyan Breakfast, A-Li is still at the back table.
  25. A-Li豆浆还没喝完。The soy milk still isn't finished.

Practice — keep the door friendly

Work through these quick exercises and choose the line that best fits each small neighbor moment without a fight.

After each answer, read why the other choices do not fit, then say the right line out loud.

0 of 11 done

  1. What does it mean?

    最近晚上有点吵

  2. What do you say?

    The early compressor is already named. Ask the shop, politely, to lower the volume.

  3. Fill the gap

    I'm not blaming you.

    我不是在____你

  4. Build the line

    I know you're having a hard time too.

    Tap the words in order.

  5. What did you hear?

  6. Pick the reply

    Staff says:

    好喔，我听你说。

    All right, I'm listening.

    And you reply with:

  7. Swap the word

    The shop is still loud. Swap the word so you ask them to keep it down.

    可以请你____一点吗？

  8. What do you say?

    You have just opened the shop door. Start with a polite excuse-me before any complaint.

  9. Match the pairs

    Simplified Chinese

    最近晚上有点吵Drop the English here
    可以请你小声一点吗？Drop the English here
    我不是在责怪你Drop the English here
    谢谢你愿意听Drop the English here

    English

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

  10. Pick the reply

    Staff says:

    那要怎么办？

    So what should we do?

    And you reply with:

  11. Fill the gap

    Sorry to trouble you.

    ____你了

Say it — your turn next door

You play Maya at the scooter shop. Listen to each cue, then say the line that keeps the talk calm.

Tap the microphone to speak. Replay the other person's line if you need the wording again.

  1. Maya and A-Jie stand at the scooter shop door.
  2. Staff有什么事吗？Is something the matter?
  3. Maya (you)Tell him nights have been a bit loud lately.

    最近晚上有点吵

    It's been a bit noisy at night lately.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

Simplified ChineseEnglish
最近晚上有点吵It's been a bit noisy at night lately.
可以请你小声一点吗？Could you keep it down?
我不是在责怪你I'm not blaming you.
我知道你也很辛苦I know you're having a hard time too.
我们可以想个办法吗？Can we think of a solution?
谢谢你愿意听Thanks for being willing to listen.
Next: lesson 227Accepting a complaint

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Today's neighbor lines are in Yak Cards with more ways to raise a problem without a fight.

Review a few of these cards before you talk to a neighbor.

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