De afzuigkap maakt lawaai, maar de vaatwasser werkt stil.

Because Dutch usually writes compound nouns as a single word.

• afzuigkap = afzuigen
  • kap
• vaatwasser = vaat
  • wasser

English often uses two words, like dishwasher or extractor hood / cooker hood, but Dutch strongly prefers one combined word for compounds like these.

Both are singular de-words.

A useful rule is that in Dutch compounds, the last part usually determines the gender of the whole word.

• kap is a de-word, so de afzuigkap
• wasser is also a de-word, so de vaatwasser

So even though the words are long compounds, you still learn the article of the whole noun just as you would with any other noun.

Lawaai maken is a very common Dutch expression meaning to make noise or to be noisy.

Here:

• maakt = makes
• lawaai = noise

So Dutch uses a noun phrase where English might sometimes prefer an adjective, such as is noisy.

Also, lawaai is normally used as an uncountable noun here, so there is no article: not een lawaai in this neutral sense.

Here werkt means functions, runs, or operates.

With machines and appliances, werken often means that something is working properly or operating in a certain way.

So in this sentence, de vaatwasser werkt stil means the dishwasher operates quietly, not that it works in the sense of having a job.

Dutch usually does not form adverbs the way English does with -ly.

So the same word can often work as both:

• an adjective: een stille machine = a quiet machine
• an adverb-like word: de machine werkt stil = the machine works quietly

So stil here describes how the dishwasher operates.

That said, many native speakers might also say:

• De vaatwasser is stil
• De vaatwasser maakt weinig geluid
• De vaatwasser werkt heel stil

Because Dutch main clauses normally follow the V2 rule: the finite verb comes in second position.

So you get:

• De afzuigkap maakt lawaai
• de vaatwasser werkt stil

Even after maar, the second part is still a main clause, so it keeps normal main-clause word order.

This is different from a subordinate clause, where the verb often moves toward the end.

Because maar joins two full clauses here, and each clause has its own subject and verb.

• De afzuigkap maakt lawaai
• de vaatwasser werkt stil

In Dutch, a comma before maar in this kind of sentence is standard. It works much like a comma before but in English.

Because maar shows a contrast.

The sentence is not just listing two facts; it is contrasting them:

• the extractor hood is noisy
• the dishwasher is quiet

If you used en, it would sound more like simple addition. Maar is the better choice because the two ideas oppose each other.

It is understandable and acceptable, but many native speakers would more naturally say one of these:

• De vaatwasser is stil
• De vaatwasser maakt weinig geluid
• De vaatwasser maakt geen lawaai

So werkt stil is not wrong, but it can sound a little more descriptive or slightly less everyday than the alternatives above.

Yes, but the nuance changes.

• geluid = sound (neutral)
• lawaai = noise (usually unwanted or annoying)

So:

• maakt geluid just means it produces sound
• maakt lawaai suggests it is noisier or more bothersome

In this sentence, lawaai fits well because it contrasts clearly with stil.