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Italian · Neighbours · Elementary

How to complain about noise to a neighbour in Italian

Knock, apologise for the bother and say who you are: “Scusi se la disturbo, abito al piano di sotto.” Describe the problem, “La musica è molto alta”, then ask: “Potrebbe abbassare un po’ il volume, per favore?”. Having a party yourself? Warn the neighbours first: “Sabato ho a casa degli amici.”

Try it · about two minutes

Music from upstairs keeps you awake, so you knock and ask politely; a week later, you give the same neighbour a heads-up about your own party.

Sound on: the neighbour speaks Italian. You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.

The conversation

  1. Neighbour

    Le serve qualcosa?

    Do you need anything?

    You

    Scusi se la disturbo.

    Sorry to bother you.

  2. Neighbour

    Va tutto bene?

    Is everything all right?

    You

    La musica è molto alta.

    The music is very loud.

  3. Neighbour

    Mi scusi per il rumore.

    Sorry about the noise.

    You

    Potrebbe abbassare un po' il volume, per favore?

    Could you turn it down a bit, please?

  4. Neighbour

    Cercheremo di fare meno rumore.

    We’ll try to be quieter.

    You

    Grazie, molto gentile. Buonanotte.

    Thanks, that’s very kind. Good night.

  5. A week later, you’re having friends over. You meet the same neighbour on the stairs.

    You

    Sabato ho a casa degli amici.

    I’m having friends over on Saturday.

  6. Neighbour

    Nessun problema.

    No problem.

    You

    Grazie per la comprensione riguardo al rumore.

    Thanks for being so understanding about the noise.

Key phrases

  • Scusi se la disturbo.

    Sorry to bother you.

  • La musica è molto alta.

    The music is very loud.

  • Sento la sua televisione attraverso il muro.

    I can hear your television through the wall.

  • Non voglio creare problemi, ma il rumore non mi fa dormire.

    I don’t want to cause problems, but the noise keeps me awake.

  • Potrebbe abbassare un po' il volume, per favore?

    Could you turn it down a bit, please?

  • Le dispiace abbassare il volume dopo le dieci di sera?

    Would you mind turning it down after ten at night?

  • Cercheremo di fare meno rumore.

    We’ll try to be quieter.

  • Sabato ho a casa degli amici.

    I’m having friends over on Saturday.

  • Mi scuso in anticipo se faremo rumore.

    Sorry in advance if it gets noisy.

  • Forse potremmo stabilire degli orari di silenzio.

    Perhaps we could agree on some quiet hours.

Good to know in Italy

Ask, don’t order

A polite request

Potrebbe abbassare un po' il volume, per favore?

Could you turn it down a bit, please?

Sounds like an order

Abbassi la musica.

Turn the music down.

A question with “potrebbe” sounds like a favour. A bare command sounds like the start of a row.

A friendly complaint

  1. 1

    Knock and talk in person. A word face to face usually goes down better than a note.

  2. 2

    Describe the noise, not the person.

    The music is very loud.
  3. 3

    Suggest a fix together, like agreed quiet hours.

    Perhaps we could agree on some quiet hours.

House rules

Many buildings have a regolamento di condominio with quiet hours, often in the early afternoon and at night. If talking doesn’t help, the building manager, l’amministratore, is the next step.

More situations in Italian

All situations in Italian

Keep these phrases in Frasa

Frasa is an iPhone app for the conversations in front of you. Save phrases like these, rehearse them out loud, and they come back until they stick.

AI-generated. May be inaccurate.