不如我們 Why Not – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 陳勢安 Andrew Tan

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the heartfelt narrative of Andrew Tan's "不如我們 Why Not" to explore the nuances of reconciliation and relationship dynamics in Mandarin Chinese. This C-Pop hit offers a rich vocabulary related to emotions, conflict resolution, and affectionate gestures, making it perfect for learners. Its repetitive and thematic lyrics, combined with a relatable message, provide an engaging way to grasp everyday expressions and cultural insights into love and compromise in Chinese. Let the melody guide you through a journey of language and emotion!

[English]

Bathing in the sunshine, trying to escape the numbers

No one dares to speak up

A short‑sighted mistake

Saving the anger that brings me down

The words I want to say are unclear

But tell them you didn’t say it

It’s only because I care

Repeating the story turns it into an accident

A simple “sorry” gets reshaped by words

The more I hurry, the more I stammer

I must say everything; I also need to mind the rhythm and length

If I keep reading scriptures, I can keep my attitude

Please summarize the facts

Why don’t we plant a tree

Why don’t we dance

Why don’t we read a book

Why don’t we hug someone—does it help

Why don’t we talk about gifts

Why don’t we go watch the sunrise

Why don’t we try saying “no” three times

Before night falls, the cloud palace emerges

The Ice Age has already ended

The primeval era has already ended

The Cold War era has already ended

After sunrise, the calendar still works

We have no numbers

There’s no number in my heart either

A pair of people have never had a conflict

A simple “sorry” gets reshaped by words

The more I hurry, the more I stammer

I must say everything; I also need to mind the rhythm and length

If I keep reading scriptures, I can keep my attitude

Please summarize the facts

Why don’t we plant a tree

Why don’t we dance

Why don’t we read a book

Why don’t we hug someone—does it help

Why don’t we talk about gifts

Why don’t we go watch the sunrise

Why don’t we try saying “no” three times

Before night falls, the cloud palace emerges

The Ice Age has already ended

The primeval era has already ended

The Cold War era has already ended

Today’s calendar hasn’t been filled in yet

But eventually we will have responsibilities

Why don’t we plant a tree

Why don’t we dance

Why don’t we read a book

Why don’t we hug someone—does it help

Why don’t we write a novel

Why don’t we make a photo album together

We don’t need to compare who gives more

Because you are my everything

[Chinese]

沐浴在陽光裡在逃數

誰都不敢陳述

一種短線的誤

拯救軟下腳的憤怒

想說的話說不清楚

但 告成你沒有說

只是因為在乎

故事重複使變成事故

一句對不起 經過詞語去重組

我越是著急 越吞吐

必說盡話 更需要注意律動和篇幅

想我不住讀經書 便受住態度

請把事實減述

不如我們種一棵樹

不如我們跳一支舞

不如我們看一本書

不如我們抱一個有沒有幫助

不如我們去聊禮物

不如我們去看日出

不如我們去三個不

天黑前時候雲宮出

冰河時期已經結束

洪荒時期已經結束

冷戰時期已經結束

天亮後日曆還好入

我們都沒有數

心裡也沒有數

一對人從來沒有衝突

一句對不起 經過詞語去重組

我越是著急 越吞吐

必說盡話 更需要注意律動和篇幅

想我不住讀經書 便受住態度

請把事實減述

不如我們種一棵樹

不如我們跳一支舞

不如我們看一本書

不如我們抱一個有沒有幫助

不如我們去聊禮物

不如我們去看日出

不如我們去三個不

天黑前時候雲宮出

冰河時期已經結束

洪荒時期已經結束

冷戰時期已經結束

今天的日曆還不入

但終將有義務

不如我們種一棵樹

不如我們跳一支舞

不如我們看一本書

不如我們抱一個有沒有幫助

不如我們寫小說

不如我們同時相簿

不必較誰更多付出

因為你就是我的全部

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
陽光 /ˈjɑːŋɡwɑːŋ/ A2	noun - sunlight
逃 /tɑʊ/ B1	verb - to escape, to flee
短 /dwɑːn/ A2	adjective - short
誤 /wuː/ B2	noun - mistake, error
拯救 /ˈtʃɛŋdʒuː/ C1	verb - to save, to rescue
憤怒 /ˈfənuː/ B2	noun - anger, wrath
故事 /ˈɡuːʃiː/ A2	noun - story
事故 /ˈʃiːɡuː/ B1	noun - accident
詞語 /ˈt͡sʰɯˌy/ B1	noun - words, terms
重組 /ˈt͡ʃʰoʊŋˌt͡suː/ B2	verb - to reorganize, to restructure
著急 /ˈt͡ʂuːd͡ʒi/ B1	adjective - anxious, worried
吞吐 /ˈtʰʊntʰuː/ C1	verb - to stammer, to hedge
律動 /lyːˈdɔŋ/ C1	noun - rhythm
事實 /ˈʃiːʃə/ B1	noun - fact
幫助 /ˈbɑːŋt͡ʃuː/ A2	noun - help, assistance
禮物 /ˈliːwuː/ A2	noun - gift, present
日出 /ˈʒiːtʃʰuː/ A2	noun - sunrise
衝突 /ˈt͡ʃʰʊŋtʰuː/ B2	noun - conflict, clash
義務 /ˈiːwuː/ B2	noun - duty, obligation
小說 /ˈʃjaʊʃwɔ/ B1	noun - novel, fiction

Key Grammar Structures

• 不如我們種一棵樹 (Bùrú wǒmen zhǒng yī kē shù)

  ➔ `不如 (bùrú)` - 'It would be better to...' / 'Why don't we...' Used to suggest an alternative course of action.

  ➔ The sentence translates to 'Why don't we plant a tree?' or 'It would be better for us to plant a tree.' `不如` introduces the suggested alternative action.

• 想說的話說不清楚 (Xiǎng shuō de huà shuō bù qīngchǔ)

  ➔ Potential Complement (Verb + `不/得` + Complement): `說不清楚 (shuō bù qīngchǔ)` - unable to speak clearly. `不` indicates inability.

  ➔ This translates to 'The words I want to say, I can't say them clearly'. The potential complement `說不清楚` shows the inability to perform the action of speaking clearly.

• 必說盡話 更需要注意律動和篇幅 (Bì shuō jǐn huà gèng xūyào zhùyì lǜdòng hé piānfú)

  ➔ `更 (gèng)` - even more, more; used for comparison.

  ➔ Even more when you must say everything, you need to pay attention to rhythm and length. The `更` emphasizes the increased need for attention in a specific situation.

• 冰河時期已經結束 (Bīnghé shíqí yǐjīng jiéshù)

  ➔ `已经 (yǐjīng)` - already; indicates the completion of an action or event.

  ➔ The Ice Age has already ended. `已经` highlights that the event of the Ice Age ending is completed.

• 因為你就是我的全部 (Yīnwèi nǐ jiùshì wǒ de quánbù)

  ➔ `就是 (jiùshì)` - exactly, precisely; used to emphasize identity or equivalence.

  ➔ Because you are exactly my everything. `就是` emphasizes that you are, without a doubt, everything to the speaker.

• 天亮後日曆還好入 (Tiān liàng hòu rìlì hái hǎo rù)

  ➔ `還好 (hái hǎo)` - still okay, not bad; indicates a situation is acceptable or manageable.

  ➔ After dawn, it's still okay to put the calendar in (probably referring to starting a new day). `還好` suggests that even after everything, the situation isn't terrible.