Asking a Neighbor to Keep the Noise Down — JLPT N3 Japanese Conversation
The situation
Yattan (ヤッタン) knocks on the door of the apartment next door and speaks with the neighbor (隣の人) about the late-night noise coming through the wall.
夜分にすみません。隣に住んでいる者ですが。
やぶんに すみません。となりに すんでいる ものですが。
Sorry to bother you so late. I'm the person living next door.
ああ、こんばんは。どうかされましたか。
ああ、こんばんは。どうか されましたか。
Oh, good evening. Is something the matter?
実は、夜、少し音が気になるんですが……。壁が薄くて、テレビの音が聞こえてしまって。
じつは、よる、すこし おとが きになるんですが……。かべが うすくて、テレビの おとが きこえてしまって。
Well, the thing is, at night I've been a bit bothered by the sound. The walls are thin, so I end up hearing the TV.
えっ、そうでしたか。全然気づきませんでした。すみません。
えっ、そうでしたか。ぜんぜん きづきませんでした。すみません。
Oh, really? I had no idea at all. I'm sorry.
恐れ入りますが、夜十時を過ぎたら、もう少し音を小さくしていただけると助かります。
おそれいりますが、よる じゅうじを すぎたら、もう すこし おとを ちいさく していただけると たすかります。
I'm terribly sorry to ask, but after 10 p.m. it would really help if you could turn the sound down a little.
もちろんです。これから気をつけますね。
もちろんです。これから きを つけますね。
Of course. I'll be careful from now on.
ありがとうございます。こちらこそ、急にお訪ねしてすみませんでした。
ありがとうございます。こちらこそ、きゅうに おたずね して すみませんでした。
Thank you. And I'm sorry for calling on you so suddenly.
いえいえ、言ってくださって助かります。おやすみなさい。
いえいえ、いって くださって たすかります。おやすみなさい。
Not at all — I'm glad you told me. Good night.
Key expressions
- 〜んですが — the soft opener. 「音が気になるんですが」 ("the thing is, the sound bothers me...") states a situation and trails off, inviting the listener to respond before you make the actual request. Ending on が leaves the sentence gently unfinished, which is far softer than a flat statement.
- 恐れ入りますが — a formal cushion phrase, roughly "I'm terribly sorry to trouble you, but..." It signals that a request is coming and that you know it's an imposition. More deferential than すみませんが, it's ideal for asking something of someone you don't know well.
- 〜ていただけると助かります／〜ていただけませんか — the polite request itself. 「小さくしていただけると助かります」 ("it would help if you'd turn it down") frames the ask as your relief rather than their obligation, while 「〜ていただけませんか」 is the direct polite question form. See 〜ていただけませんか (polite requests).
- 〜てしまう — 「聞こえてしまって」 casts the noise as something that regrettably happens, softening it and avoiding blame. See 〜てしまう (completion / regret).
About complaining in Japan
Direct confrontation between neighbors is strongly avoided in Japan. Many residents will never knock at all; instead they report the problem to the 管理会社 (kanri-gaisha, the building management company) or the 大家さん (ōya-san, landlord), who then posts a general notice or speaks to the tenant, so no one loses face. Apartment walls — especially in older wooden or lightweight アパート — are famously thin, and 騒音トラブル (sōon toraburu, "noise trouble") is one of the most common disputes, which is exactly why the etiquette is so cautious. If you do go in person, lead with an apology for the intrusion and keep the request indirect. The one survival phrase worth memorizing: 「夜分に恐れ入ります」 ("I'm terribly sorry to disturb you at this late hour").
Frequently asked questions
Why not just say うるさいです ('you're loud')?
Because it sounds like an accusation and can start a real dispute. Japanese complaints describe the situation instead — 「音が気になるんですが」 ('the sound bothers me a little') or 「聞こえてしまって」 ('I end up hearing it') — so no blame is placed directly on the other person.
What does 恐れ入りますが actually mean?
Literally something like 'I am filled with awe/shame, but...', it works as a formal cushion before a request or question, similar to 'I'm terribly sorry to trouble you, but...'. It's more polite and deferential than すみませんが and common in service and formal settings.
Is it better to go through the building manager?
Often, yes. Reporting noise to the 管理会社 or 大家さん lets them handle it neutrally — usually a posted notice or a quiet word — so neither neighbor is embarrassed. Going in person, as Yattan does, works too, but only with plenty of apology and an indirect request.