Breakdown of De pomp maakt wat lawaai.
maken
to make
het lawaai
the noise (loud, unpleasant)
wat
something / some (a little)
de pomp
the pump
Questions & Answers about De pomp maakt wat lawaai.
Why is wat used here instead of een beetje?
In everyday Dutch, wat is often used as a shorter, unstressed alternative to een beetje (a little) or iets (something). Here, wat lawaai simply means "some noise" or "a little noise". It sounds very natural and casual.
Could I use iets instead of wat in this sentence?
No, not directly before a noun like this. While unstressed wat can mean "some" or "a little" when placed before an uncountable noun, iets usually stands alone to mean "something". You would have to say iets van lawaai (something like a noise), but wat lawaai is much more common.
Is lawaai an uncountable noun?
Yes, lawaai (noise) is uncountable in Dutch. Because of this, you cannot use the article een before it or make it plural. Since it is uncountable, placing the quantity word wat right in front of it works perfectly.
Does Dutch always use the verb maken with lawaai?
Yes, just like in English, the standard combination is lawaai maken (to make noise).