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Portuguese · Neighbours · Elementary

How to complain about noise to a neighbour in Portuguese

Knock, apologise for the bother and explain: “Não quero causar problemas, mas o barulho não me deixa dormir”. Then ask: “Podia fazer menos barulho, por favor?”. Before your own party, warn your neighbours: “No sábado vêm cá uns amigos. Desculpe desde já se houver barulho”.

Try it · about two minutes

Music from upstairs keeps you awake, so you knock and ask politely, or give neighbours a heads-up about your own party.

You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.

The conversation

  1. Neighbour

    Precisa de alguma coisa?

    Do you need anything?

    You

    Boa noite, desculpe incomodar. Moro no andar de baixo.

    Good evening, sorry to bother you. I live downstairs.

  2. Neighbour

    Com certeza, diga.

    Of course, go ahead.

    You

    A música está muito alta.

    The music is very loud.

  3. Neighbour

    Desculpe o barulho.

    Sorry about the noise.

    You

    Podia fazer menos barulho, por favor?

    Could you make less noise, please?

  4. Neighbour

    Vamos tentar fazer menos barulho.

    We’ll try to be quieter.

    You

    Agradeço a sua compreensão em relação ao barulho.

    Thanks for your understanding about the noise.

  5. A few weeks later, you’re having friends over on Saturday. You knock upstairs to give your neighbour a heads-up.

    You

    No sábado vêm cá uns amigos.

    Some friends are coming over on Saturday.

  6. Neighbour

    Parece divertido!

    Sounds fun.

    You

    Vamos tentar fazer menos barulho.

    We’ll try to keep the noise down.

Key phrases

  • Peço desculpa pelo incómodo.

    I’m sorry to bother you.

  • Não quero causar problemas, mas o barulho não me deixa dormir.

    I don’t want any trouble, but the noise is keeping me awake.

  • A música está muito alta.

    The music is very loud.

  • Podia fazer menos barulho, por favor?

    Could you make less noise, please?

  • Importava-se de baixar o volume depois das dez da noite?

    Would you mind turning it down after ten at night?

  • Desculpe o barulho.

    Sorry about the noise.

  • Vamos tentar fazer menos barulho.

    We’ll try to be quieter.

  • No sábado vêm cá uns amigos.

    Some friends are coming over on Saturday.

  • Desculpe desde já se houver barulho.

    Sorry in advance if it gets noisy.

  • Agradeço a sua compreensão em relação ao barulho.

    Thanks for your understanding about the noise.

Good to know in Portugal

Asking nicely

  1. 1

    Knock at a reasonable moment, and stay calm.

    Peço desculpa pelo incómodo.I’m sorry to bother you.
  2. 2

    Describe what you hear, not what they are.

    A música está muito alta.The music is very loud.
  3. 3

    Suggest a time to turn it down, so it’s easy to say yes.

A request, not an order

Request

Importava-se de baixar o volume depois das dez da noite?

Would you mind turning it down after ten at night?

Order

Baixe o volume.

Turn it down.

“Importava-se de…” (would you mind…) turns a demand into a request. A bare command sounds like an order.

If talking doesn’t work

Most blocks of flats have a condomínio, the owners’ association, with an administrador. Ongoing problems can go to the administrador; if you rent, your landlord can raise them at the owners’ meeting.

Levamos isto à reunião de condóminos?

Shall we raise it at the owners’ meeting?

More situations in Portuguese

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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.