boyfriend – English Lyrics

• By: Ariana Grande, Social House

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the language of modern dating with "boyfriend," an R&B-pop track that perfectly articulates the confusing, jealous, and intense feelings of an undefined relationship. Listening to the song is a fun way to learn English vocabulary and expressions surrounding commitment, emotional vulnerability, and the casual/exclusive paradox of a "situationship."

[English]

♪♪♪

♪ I'M A MOTHERFUCKIN' TRAIN WRECK ♪

♪ I DON'T WANNA BE TOO MUCH ♪

♪ BUT I DON'T WANT TO MISS YOUR TOUCH ♪

♪ AND YOU DON'T SEEM TO GIVE A FUCK ♪

♪ I DON'T WANNA KEEP YOU WAITING ♪

♪ BUT I DO JUST WHAT I HAVE TO DO ♪

♪ AND I MIGHT NOT BE THE ONE FOR YOU ♪

♪ BUT YOU AIN'T ABOUT TO HAVE NO BOO ♪

♪ CAUSE, I KNOW WE'D BE SO COMPLICATED ♪

♪ OR, WE'D BE SO SMITTEN IT'S CRAZY ♪

♪ I CAN'T HAVE WHAT I WANT ♪

♪ BUT, NEITHER CAN YOU ♪

♪ ♪

♪ YOU AIN'T MY BOYFRIEND (BOYFRIEND) ♪

♪ AND I AIN'T YOUR GIRLFRIEND (GIRLFRIEND) ♪

♪ BUT YOU DON'T WANT ME TO SEE NOBODY ELSE ♪

♪ AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO SEE NOBODY ♪

♪ BUT YOU AIN'T MY BOYFRIEND (BOYFRIEND) ♪

♪ AND I AIN'T YOUR GIRLFRIEND (GIRLFRIEND) ♪

♪ BUT YOU DON'T WANT ME TO TOUCH NOBODY ELSE ♪

♪ BABY WE AIN'T GOT TO TELL NOBODY ♪

♪ EVEN THOUGH YOU AIN'T MINE ♪

♪ I PROMISE THE WAY WE FIGHT ♪

♪ MADE ME HONESTLY FEEL THAT WE JUST IN LOVE ♪

♪ MAYBE WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE ♪

♪ THEN BABY I'M A TRAIN WRECK TOO ♪

♪ I LOOSE MY MIND WHEN IT COMES TO YOU ♪

♪ I TAKE TIME WITH THE ONES I CHOOSE ♪

♪ AND I DON'T WANT A SMILE IF IT AIN'T FROM YOU, YEAH ♪

♪ CAUSE I KNOW WE'D BE SO COMPLICATED ♪

♪ LOVIN' YOU SOMETIMES DRIVE ME CRAZY ♪

♪ CAUSE I CAN'T HAVE WHAT I WANT ♪

♪ AND NEITHER CAN YOU ♪

♪ YOU AIN'T MY BOYFRIEND (BOYFRIEND) ♪

♪ AND I AIN'T YOUR GIRLFRIEND (GIRLFRIEND) ♪

♪ BUT YOU DON'T WANT ME TO SEE NOBODY ELSE ♪

♪ AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO SEE NOBODY ♪

♪ BUT YOU AIN'T MY BOYFRIEND (BOYFRIEND) ♪

♪ AND I AIN'T YOUR GIRLFRIEND (GIRLFRIEND) ♪

♪ BUT YOU DON'T WANT ME TO TOUCH NOBODY ELSE ♪

♪ BABY WE AIN'T GOT TO TELL NOBODY ♪

♪ I WANT TO KISS YA (YEAH) ♪

♪ DON'T WANT TO MISS YA (YEAH) ♪

♪ I CAN'T BE WITH YOU ♪

♪ CAUSE I GOT ISSUES ♪

♪ YEAH ON THE SURFACE IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S EASY ♪

♪ CAREFUL WITH WORDS ♪

♪ BUT IT'S STILL HARD TO READ ME ♪

♪ STRESS HIGH WHEN THE TRUST LOW ♪

♪ BAD VIBES WHEN THE FUN GO ♪

♪ TRY TO OPEN UP A LOT MORE ♪

♪ TRY TO OPEN UP A LOT MORE ♪

♪ YOU AIN'T MY BOYFRIEND (BOYFRIEND) ♪

♪ AND YOU AIN'T MY GIRLFRIEND ♪

♪ I PROBABLY WON'T SEE NOBODY ELSE ♪

♪ BUT I CAN GUARANTEE THAT BY MYSELF ♪

♪ YOU AIN'T MY BOYFRIEND (BOYFRIEND) ♪

♪ AND I AIN'T YOUR GIRLFRIEND (GIRLFRIEND) ♪

♪ BUT YOU DON'T WANT ME TO SEE NOBODY ELSE ♪

♪ AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO SEE NOBODY ♪

♪ BUT YOU AIN'T MY BOYFRIEND (BOYFRIEND) ♪

♪ AND I AIN'T YOUR GIRLFRIEND (GIRLFRIEND) ♪

♪ BUT YOU DON'T WANT ME TO TOUCH NOBODY ELSE ♪

♪ BABY WE AIN'T GOT TO TELL NOBODY ♪

♪ YOU AIN'T MY BOYFRIEND (BOYFRIEND) ♪

♪ AND I AIN'T YOUR GIRLFRIEND (GIRLFRIEND) ♪

♪ BUT YOU DON'T WANT ME TO SEE NOBODY ELSE ♪

♪ AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO SEE NOBODY ♪

♪ BUT YOU AIN'T MY BOYFRIEND (BOYFRIEND) ♪

♪ AND I AIN'T YOUR GIRLFRIEND (GIRLFRIEND) ♪

♪ BUT YOU DON'T WANT ME TO TOUCH NOBODY ELSE ♪

♪ BABY WE AIN'T GOT TO TELL NOBODY ♪

♪ YOU AIN'T MY BOYFRIEND (BOYFRIEND) ♪

♪ AND I AIN'T YOUR GIRLFRIEND (GIRLFRIEND) ♪

♪ BUT YOU DON'T WANT ME TO SEE NOBODY ELSE ♪

♪ AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO SEE NOBODY ♪

♪♪♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
boyfriend /ˈbɔɪfrɛnd/ A1	noun - a male romantic partner.
girlfriend /ˈɡɜːrlfrɛnd/ A1	noun - a female romantic partner.
train wreck /ˈtreɪn rɛk/ C1	noun - (informal) a person or thing that is a complete disaster or mess; a chaotic or disastrous situation.
touch /tʌtʃ/ A2	verb - to make physical contact with. noun - the act or an instance of touching.
fuck /fʌk/ C1	verb - (informal, vulgar) to treat someone or something very badly; to ruin or mishandle. noun - (informal, vulgar, in phrases like 'give a fuck') a jot, a particle; often used to express indifference or contempt.
boo /buː/ B2	noun - (informal) a term of endearment for a boyfriend or girlfriend.
complicated /ˈkɒmplɪkeɪtɪd/ B1	adjective - involving many different and confusing aspects; intricate.
smitten /ˈsmɪtn/ B2	adjective - very much in love or infatuated with someone.
crazy /ˈkreɪzi/ A2	adjective - (informal) intensely enthusiastic or passionate; wild or bizarre. adjective - (informal) absurd, illogical, or bizarre.
promise /ˈprɒmɪs/ B1	verb - to assure someone that one will definitely do, give, or arrange something. noun - a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen.
fight /faɪt/ A2	verb - to take part in a violent struggle involving blows or weapons; to argue. noun - a violent confrontation or struggle; an argument.
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of deep affection. verb - to feel a deep romantic or sexual attachment to (someone).
lose /luːz/ A2	verb - to be deprived of or cease to have or retain (something). In the phrase 'lose one's mind', to become mentally unstable or frantic.
issues /ˈɪʃuːz/ B1	noun - important topics or problems for debate or discussion; personal problems or concerns.
trust /trʌst/ B1	noun - firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. verb - to believe in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of.
vibes /vaɪbz/ B2	noun - (informal, plural) the atmosphere or emanations of a place, person, or thing as communicated to and felt by others. (Short for 'vibrations').
guarantee /ˌɡærənˈtiː/ B1	verb - to provide a formal assurance or promise regarding the quality or performance of something; to promise with certainty.
surface /ˈsɜːrfɪs/ B1	noun - the outside part or uppermost layer of something; (in phrase 'on the surface') outwardly, superficially.
miss /mɪs/ A2	verb - to feel the absence of; to regret the loss or absence of.

Key Grammar Structures

• I DON'T WANNA KEEP YOU WAITING

  ➔ Verb Pattern: Keep + Object + Present Participle

  ➔ "Keep" in this structure (e.g., "keep you waiting") means to *cause someone or something to continue in a particular state or action*. Here, it means to make "you" continue "waiting".

• BUT I DO JUST WHAT I HAVE TO DO

  ➔ Emphatic "Do", "Have to" (Obligation), and Relative Pronoun "What"

  ➔ The auxiliary verb "do" is used here for emphasis, stressing the action "do". "Have to" expresses obligation or necessity. "What" acts as a relative pronoun, meaning "the thing(s) that". So, "I "do" just "what I have to do"" emphasizes performing exactly the necessary actions.

• AND I MIGHT NOT BE THE ONE FOR YOU

  ➔ Modal Verb "Might" (Possibility)

  ➔ "Might" indicates a *slight possibility or uncertainty* about something. "Might not" suggests that there's a chance something is not true or won't happen. Here, the speaker is expressing uncertainty about whether they are the right person for the other.

• BUT YOU AIN'T ABOUT TO HAVE NO BOO

  ➔ Informal "Ain't" (is/are not) + "About to" (immediate future) + Double Negative

  ➔ "Ain't" is an informal contraction for "is not", "are not", "has not", or "have not". "About to" means *on the verge of doing something* or *going to happen very soon*. The phrase "have no boo" (where "boo" is an informal term of endearment for a romantic partner) forms a double negative with "ain't", which is common in informal English, meaning "you will definitely not have a romantic partner".

• CAUSE, I KNOW WE'D BE SO COMPLICATED

  ➔ Contraction "We'd" (We would - Conditional/Speculation)

  ➔ "We'd" is a contraction of "we would". "Would" is often used to talk about *hypothetical situations, predictions, or desired outcomes* in the future, especially when thinking about what might happen if things were different or as a result of current circumstances. Here, it speculates on the nature of their potential relationship.

• BUT, NEITHER CAN YOU

  ➔ Inversion after "Neither" (Agreement in Negative)

  ➔ When "neither" is used to agree with a negative statement, the auxiliary verb and the subject are inverted. This structure means "you can't either" or "you also can't". The preceding line was "I can't have what I want," so "neither can you" means "you also can't have what you want."

• BUT YOU DON'T WANT ME TO SEE NOBODY ELSE

  ➔ Verb Pattern: Want + Object + Infinitive

  ➔ This structure "want + object + (to) infinitive" is used to express a desire for someone else to perform an action. Here, "you don't want me to see..." expresses that "you" do not desire "I" to perform the action of "seeing nobody else". (Note: "nobody else" is an informal double negative for "anyone else").

• BABY WE AIN'T GOT TO TELL NOBODY

  ➔ Informal "Ain't got to" (lack of obligation) + Double Negative

  ➔ "Ain't got to" is an informal equivalent of "don't have to" or "haven't got to", meaning there is *no obligation or necessity* to do something. Coupled with "nobody", it creates a double negative common in spoken English, reinforcing the idea that they don't need to tell *anyone* at all.

• AND I DON'T WANT A SMILE IF IT AIN'T FROM YOU, YEAH

  ➔ Conditional Clause (Type 1 with informal "ain't")

  ➔ This is a Type 1 conditional sentence, expressing a real or very probable situation in the present or future. The "if" clause ("if it ain't from you") states the condition, and the main clause ("I don't want a smile") states the result. "Ain't" is used informally instead of "isn't".

• BUT IT'S STILL HARD TO READ ME

  ➔ Impersonal Construction "It's [adjective] to [verb]"

  ➔ This impersonal construction uses "it" as a dummy subject. It describes the nature or characteristic of an action (expressed by the infinitive) as being "hard". "To read me" refers to understanding the speaker's true thoughts or feelings.