Chimiyé – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Aya Nakamura

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the world of Aya Nakamura's "Chimiyé," a song that blends French R&B and Afrobeat with a powerful message of independence. Through its catchy lyrics and relatable themes of navigating relationships and self-identity, "Chimiyé" offers a glimpse into modern French urban music and empowers listeners to embrace their confidence.

[English]

He wants to meet up, I speak Chinese to him, I'm acting like a diva, I'm a pain, I need to call him back

I got him on the phone, he told me you're used to it

Used to messing around with guys, you're used to it

What is he saying? Maybe he's right

If I wasn't so stubborn, we would have been married for seasons

Sometimes I go overboard, too many whims

He said I'm overdoing it, become more mature

He wants the house, he wants the kids, he's talking to me in chimi-chimiyé (chimi chimi chimiyé)

He wants the house, he wants the kids, he's talking to me in chimi-chimiyé (talking in chimi-chimiyé)

He wants the house, he wants the kids, he's talking to me in chimi-chimiyé (chimi chimi chimiyé)

He wants the house, he wants the kids, he's talking to me in chimi-chimiyé

What are you talking about? You don't know that life

I don't like it when you talk a lot, I prefer when you're in action

He's eyeing my joint, checking out the finishes

Often, Mister is eating me with his eyes

Normal, my body is art, my body is art

I'm stubborn, he likes that, you want us to move it's a pain in Paname

Call me tonight, I'm off, maybe we'll meet up at the Plaza

Have you seen my real face? Baby, don't mix me up with all these dirty girls

They envy me, it's a bad time, they're fans of me, it's a bad time

He wants the house, he wants the kids, he's talking to me in chimi-chimiyé (chimi chimi chimiyé)

He wants the house, he wants the kids, he's talking to me in chimi-chimiyé (talking in chimi-chimiyé)

He wants the house, he wants the kids, he's talking to me in chimi-chimiyé (chimi chimi chimiyé)

He wants the house, he wants the kids, he's talking to me in chimi-chimiyé (talking in chimi-chimiyé)

Have you seen my real face?

He wants to meet up, I speak Chinese to him, I'm acting like a diva, I'm a pain, I need to call him back

[French]

Il veut qu’on s’capte, j’lui parle chinois, j’fais la diva, j’suis une galère, faut que je le rappelle

J’l’ai eu au téléphone, il m’a dit t’as l’habitude,

De bomber avec les hommes t’as l’habitude,

Mais qu’est-ce qu’il raconte, peut-être qu’il a raison,

Si j’étais pas têtue, on serait mariés depuis des saisons,

Des fois j’abuse, trop de caprices,

Il a dit j’abuse, deviens plus mature,

Il veut la maison, il veut les enfants, il me parle en chimi-chimiyé (chimi chimi chimiyé)

Il veut la maison, il veut les enfants, il me parle en chimi-chimiyé (parle en chimi-chimiyé)

Il veut la maison, il veut les enfants, il me parle en chimi-chimiyé(chimi chimi chimiyé)

Il veut la maison, il veut les enfants, il me parle en chimi-chimiyé

Tu me parles de quoi? Cette vie là tu la connais pas

j’aime pas quand tu parles beaucoup, j’préfère quand t’es dans l’action,

Il matte mon pétard guette les finitions,

souvent Monsieur me mange du regard

Normal mon body c’est de l’art, mon body c’est de l’art,

J’suis têtue il aime ça, tu veux qu’on bouge c’est la galère à Paname,

Appelle-moi ce soir j’suis off peut-être qu’on se captera au Plaza

Est-ce que t’as vu mon vrai visage bébé me mélange pas avec toutes ces filles sales

Elles m’envient ça fait un bad time, elles sont fans de moi ça fait un bad time

Il veut la maison, il veut les enfants, il me parle en chimi-chimiyé (chimi chimi chimiyé)

Il veut la maison, il veut les enfants, il me parle en chimi-chimiyé (parle en chimi-chimiyé)

Il veut la maison, il veut les enfants, il me parle en chimi-chimiyé (chimi chimi chimiyé)

Il veut la maison, il veut les enfants, il me parle en chimi-chimiyé (parle en chimi-chimiyé)

Est-ce que t’as vu mon vrai visage

Il veut qu’on s’capte, j’lui parle chinois, j’fais la diva, j’suis une galère, faut que je le rappelle

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
diva /ˈdiːvə/ B1	noun - a celebrated female singer; a woman of outstanding talent
galère /ɡa.lɛʁ/ B2	noun - trouble, hassle, difficult situation
habitude /a.bi.tyd/ B1	noun - habit, custom
têtu /te.ty/ B2	adjective - stubborn, obstinate
mariés /ma.ʁje/ A2	adjective - married noun - married people
saison /sɛ.zɔ̃/ A1	noun - season
caprice /ka.pʁis/ B2	noun - whim, impulse
mature /ma.tyʁ/ B1	adjective - mature
maison /mɛ.zɔ̃/ A1	noun - house
enfants /ɑ̃.fɑ̃/ A1	noun - children
vie /vi/ A1	noun - life
action /ak.sjɔ̃/ A2	noun - action
pétard /pe.taʁ/ B2	noun - firecracker; joint, spliff (slang)
art /aʁ/ A2	noun - art
visage /vi.zaʒ/ B1	noun - face

Key Grammar Structures

• Il veut qu’on s’capte, j’lui parle chinois

  ➔ Subjunctive mood after 'vouloir que'

  ➔ The structure 'il veut que' requires the subjunctive mood. Here, 'qu'on s'capte' uses 's'capte' in the subjunctive. 'Parler chinois' is an expression meaning to not understand or refuse to listen.

• j’suis une galère, faut que je le rappelle

  ➔ Impersonal expression 'faut que' followed by the subjunctive.

  ➔ 'Faut que' means 'it is necessary that'. It always requires the subjunctive mood for the verb that follows. 'Je le rappelle' is in the subjunctive after 'faut que'.

• Si j’étais pas têtue, on serait mariés depuis des saisons

  ➔ Conditional sentence type II (Hypothetical past situation)

  ➔ This is a hypothetical statement about the past. 'Si j'étais pas têtue' (If I were not stubborn) is in the imperfect subjunctive and 'on serait mariés' (we would be married) is in the conditional present.

• Des fois j’abuse, trop de caprices

  ➔ Use of 'des fois' (sometimes) as an adverbial phrase

  ➔ 'Des fois' is a colloquial way of saying 'sometimes'. It's used to indicate that something happens occasionally.

• Il matte mon pétard guette les finitions

  ➔ Use of slang verb 'matter' (to watch, stare) and informal vocabulary.

  ➔ 'Matter' is slang for 'regarder' or 'observer attentivement'. 'Pétard' is a slang word for cigarette, but here it is used as a metaphore. This shows the informal register of the song.

• Normal mon body c’est de l’art

  ➔ Use of the c’est + noun structure to express a characteristic or definition

  ➔ The phrase 'c’est de l’art' means 'it is art', emphasizing that her body is something beautiful and worthy of admiration. The 'de' + noun structure describes the type of thing something is.