40% – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Aya Nakamura
• Album: NAKAMURA

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the emotional depth of Aya Nakamura's "40%", a song that beautifully dissects the complexities of modern relationships, offering insights into vulnerability and power dynamics through its poignant lyrics and captivating Afropop R&B sound.

[English]

Music

Oh, you know he wants to manipulate me, take it easy

He could be enchanting me, I see you're struggling to make the move (move)

Talking in my head? It's not happening

I tell you to back off, but I already told you I'm savage

Honestly, I'm not very well behaved

And you can see what I stand out

I'm too charismatic, you love my rhythms

He told me, baby mama, sorry

Take it easy, I'm losing it

There's something off

And when you lie like that, I'm only at 40%

Stop the pouting, cut it out

It was just a game, calm down

But my God, it’s so sweet, I swear I’ll see it through

He's crazy, it’s not complicated

Baby, I’ve got everything for you, I’ve got everything

I’ve changed the game, I’m going to dominate him, yeah

I don’t know who you think I am

I caught the tactic Rampampam

I think you felt it, you missed your chance

I’ve got the trigger

It goes rampampam

Ding ding ding, who’s there?

I’ve had my dose, stop, who’s there?

You’re coming closer, I move away

And now you want to guess my weaknesses

I'm too charismatic, you love my rhythms

He told me, baby mama, sorry

Take it easy, I'm losing it

There’s something off

And when you lie like that, I’m only at 40%

Stop the pouting, cut it out

It was just a game, calm down

But my God, it’s so sweet, I swear I’ll see it through

He’s crazy, it’s not complicated

Baby, I’ve got everything for you, I’ve got everything

I’ve changed the game, I’m going to dominate him, yeah

Why are you lying like that (I tell you to back off)

You need to stop (I tell you to back off)

Why are you lying like that (I tell you to back off)

You need to stop

And when you lie like that

I'm only at 40%

Stop the pouting, cut it out

It was just a game, calm down

But my God, it’s so sweet, I swear I’ll see it through

He’s crazy, it’s not complicated

Baby, I’ve got everything for you, I’ve got everything

I’ve changed the game, I’m going to dominate him, yeah

Music

[French]

[Musique]

Ah tu connais quoi il veut me manipuler, fais doucement,

Tu pourrais m’envoûter, j’vois qu’tu galères à passer le step (step)

Parler dans ma tête ? C’est mort

j’tenvoie balader, mais j’tavais dis que j'étais savage

À vrai dire j’suis pas très sage

Et tu vois bien ce que j’dégage

J’suis trop charismatique, tu kiffes mes timiniks

Il m’a dit baby mama pardon

Fais doucement, j’pète les plombs

Y'a comme un hic

Et quand tu mens comme ça, j’suis qu’à 40%

Tu fais la gueule arrêtes moi ça

C’était qu’un jeu, redescends

Mais mon Dieu que c’est doux, wAllah j’le mène à bout

Il est piqué c’est pas compliqué

Bébé pour toi y'a tout, pour toi y'a tout

J’ai changé la donne j’vais le dominer yeah

J’sais pas pour qui tu m’as pris

J’ai capté la tactique Rampampam

J’crois bien que tu l’as senti, t’as loupé le coche

j’ai la gachette

Ça fait rampampam

Toc toc toc, mais qui-va-là ?

J’ai eu ma dose, stop, qui va là ?

Tu t’approches, je m’éloigne

Et maintenant tu veux deviner mes failles

J’suis trop charismatique, tu kiffes mes timiniks

Il m’a dit baby mama pardon,

Fais doucement, j’pète les plombs

Y'a comme un hic

Et quand tu mens comme ça, j’suis qu’à 40%

Tu fais la gueule arrêtes moi ça

C’était qu’un jeu, redescends

Mais mon Dieu que c’est doux, wAllah j’le mène à bout

Il est piqué c’est pas compliqué

Bébé pour toi y'a tout, pour toi y'a tout

J’ai changé la donne j’vais le dominer yeah

Pourquoi tu mens comme ça (j'tenvoie balader)

Faut qu’tu cesses (j'tenvoie balader)

Pourquoi tu mens comme ça (j'tenvoie balader)

Faut qu’tu cesses

Et quand tu mens comme ça

J’suis qu’à 40%

Tu fais la gueule arrêtes moi ça

C’était qu’un jeu, redescends

Mais mon Dieu que c’est doux, wAllah j’le mène à bout

Il est piqué c’est pas compliqué

Bébé pour toi y'a tout, pour toi y'a tout

J’ai changé la donne j’vais le dominer yeah

[Musique]

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
manipuler /manipyle/ B2	verb - to control or influence someone in a clever or unscrupulous way
dégager /deɡaʒe/ B1	verb - to emit or give off
charismatique /kaʁizmatik/ B2	adjective - having a compelling charm or appeal
dominer /dɔmine/ B1	verb - to have control over; to dominate
plomb /plɔ̃b/ B2	noun - a heavy metal used in various applications
jeu /ʒø/ A2	noun - a game or play
doux /du/ A2	adjective - soft or gentle
tic /tik/ B1	noun - a habitual spasmodic contraction of the muscles
sentir /sɑ̃.tiʁ/ B1	verb - to feel or perceive
maman /mamɑ̃/ A1	noun - mother
histoire /istwaʁ/ A2	noun - story or history
coche /kɔʃ/ B2	noun - a vehicle or car

Key Grammar Structures

• Ah tu connais quoi il veut me manipuler, fais doucement,

  ➔ Imperative Mood: "fais doucement"

  ➔ "Fais doucement" is an imperative command meaning "take it easy" or "be careful". The imperative mood is used to give orders or instructions.

• Tu pourrais m’envoûter, j’vois qu’tu galères à passer le step (step)

  ➔ Conditional Mood: "Tu pourrais m'envoûter"

  ➔ "Tu pourrais m'envoûter" uses the conditional mood, expressing a possibility or hypothetical situation. It translates to "You could bewitch me."

• Parler dans ma tête ? C’est mort

  ➔ Informal Expression: "C'est mort"

  ➔ "C'est mort" is an informal French expression meaning "It's dead," "It's over," or "No way."

• j’tenvoie balader, mais j'tavais dis que j'étais savage

  ➔ Past Perfect Tense: "j'tavais dis"

  ➔ "J'tavais dis" is a contracted form of "Je t'avais dit", which is the past perfect tense. It indicates an action completed before another action in the past. It means "I had told you."

• Et quand tu mens comme ça, j’suis qu’à 40%

  ➔ Adverb of Manner: "Comme ça"

  ➔ "Comme ça" is an adverbial phrase meaning "like that" or "that way". It describes the manner in which someone is lying.

• Mais mon Dieu que c’est doux, wAllah j’le mène à bout

  ➔ Exclamatory Sentence with Inversion: "Mais mon Dieu que c'est doux"

  ➔ "Mais mon Dieu que c'est doux" is an exclamatory sentence with an inversion for emphasis. It translates to "But my God, how sweet it is!"

• J’ai changé la donne j’vais le dominer yeah

  ➔ Future Tense (Near Future): "j'vais le dominer"

  ➔ "J'vais le dominer" is the near future tense, formed with "aller" + infinitive. It expresses an action that will happen soon. It means "I am going to dominate him/it."