China – Bilingual Lyrics Romanian/English

• By: Dani Mocanu

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music can be a powerful and engaging experience, and Dani Mocanu's 'China' offers a unique, albeit controversial, entry point into Romanian. The song's blend of traditional Manele with modern trap provides a glimpse into a specific subculture of Romanian music. By exploring the lyrics, learners can engage with contemporary slang and narrative storytelling, while the surrounding controversy offers a deeper cultural context for discussion and understanding. This song is special not just for its musical style, but for the conversations it ignites about artistic expression and social commentary.

[English]

I've corrupted the women and I take all the blame

And I raised their percentages for export to China

I give them two fake names, Yaonbuci and Cekurai

Chicks with a black belt in Kung-Fu and in money, in Kung-Fu and in money

Come on, I've arrived in China, I didn't think I'd get here

The Romanian girls take everything because these guys are the smallest

Six or seven go in, you'd say they're grains of rice

Love for profit, up on the Chinese wall

My name is Tzomping Tzondes

Chinese Gypsy mobster

I have the hottest chick

Small eyes and a big ass

Tzomping Tzondes

Chinese Gypsy mobster

I have the hottest chick

Small eyes and a big ass

Tzomping Tzondes

Chinese Gypsy mobster

Tzomping Tzondes

Chinese Gypsy mobster

I have the hottest chick

Small eyes and a big ass

I have a couple in Beijing, I want to swing with them

I definitely want to burn them, to give us the PIN to the card

Again you jump to show the panties, the masked men commit harakiri

Because they can't find me in the Chinese mafia, in the Chinese mafia

Come on, I've arrived in China, I didn't think I'd get here

The Romanian girls take everything because these guys are the smallest

Six or seven go in, you'd say they're grains of rice

Love for profit, up on the Chinese wall

My name is Tzomping Tzondes

Chinese Gypsy mobster

I have the hottest chick

Small eyes and a big ass

Tzomping Tzondes

Chinese Gypsy mobster

I have the hottest chick

Small eyes and a big ass

Tzomping Tzondes

Chinese Gypsy mobster

Tzomping Tzondes

Chinese Gypsy mobster

I have the hottest chick

Small eyes and a big ass

...

[Romanian]

Am corupt femeile și-mi asum toată vina

Și le-am mărit procentele pentru export în China

Le pun două nume false, Yaonbuci și Cekurai

Gagici cu centura neagră la Kung-Fu și la parai, la Kung-Fu și la parai

Hai că am ajuns și-n China, nu credeam că ajung aici

Româncele ia cu totul că ăștia sunt cei mai mici

Intră câte șase-șapte, zici că-s boabe de orez

Dragoste pe interes, sus pe zidul chinezesc

Mă numesc Tzomping Tzondes

Tzigan mafiot chinez

Am gagica cea mai tare

Ochii mici și curu’ mare

Tzomping Tzondes

Tzigan mafiot chinez

Am gagica cea mai tare

Ochii mici și curu’ mare

Tzomping Tzondes

Tzigan mafiot chinez

Tzomping Tzondes

Tzigan mafiot chinez

Am gagica cea mai tare

Ochii mici și curu’ mare

Am un cuplu la Beijing, cu ei vreau să facem swing

Vreau neapărat să-i ard, să ne dea pinul la card

Iar sar s-arăți bichinii, fac mascații harachiri

Că n-au cum să mă găsească în mafia chinezească, în mafia chinezească

Hai că am ajuns și-n China, nu credeam că ajung aici

Româncele ia cu totul că ăștia sunt cei mai mici

Intră câte șase-șapte, zici că-s boabe de orez

Dragoste pe interes, sus pe zidul chinezesc

Mă numesc Tzomping Tzondes

Tzigan mafiot chinez

Am gagica cea mai tare

Ochii mici și curu’ mare

Tzomping Tzondes

Tzigan mafiot chinez

Am gagica cea mai tare

Ochii mici și curu’ mare

Tzomping Tzondes

Tzigan mafiot chinez

Tzomping Tzondes

Tzigan mafiot chinez

Am gagica cea mai tare

Ochii mici și curu’ mare

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
corupt /kəˈrʌpt/ C1	verb - to cause to become dishonest or immoral; to contaminate adjective - dishonest or immoral
femei /feˈmej/ A1	noun - women
vina /ˈvi.na/ B1	noun - fault, blame
export /ˈek.spɔrt/ B1	noun - the act of sending goods to another country for sale verb - to send goods to another country for sale
China /ˈki.na/ A1	noun - China
nume /ˈnu.me/ A1	noun - name
gagici /ɡaˈd͡ʒit͡ʃʲ/ B1	noun - (slang) girls
centura /t͡ʃenˈtu.ra/ A2	noun - belt
negra /ˈne.ɡra/ A1	adjective - black
ajuns /aˈʒuns/ A2	verb - arrived, reached
mici /mit͡ʃʲ/ A1	adjective - small
boabe /ˈbo̯a.be/ B1	noun - beans, grains
orez /oˈrez/ A1	noun - rice
dragoste /ˈdra.ɡos.te/ A2	noun - love
interes /in.teˈres/ B1	noun - interest
mafiot /maˈfjoːt/ B2	noun - mobster, mafia member adjective - related to the mafia
ochi /ˈo.ki/ A1	noun - eyes
tare /ˈta.re/ A2	adjective - strong, awesome
curu' /ˈku.ru/ B2	noun - butt (slang)

Key Grammar Structures

• Am corupt femeile și-mi asum toată vina

  ➔ Reflexive Pronoun (impersonal 'mi')

  ➔ The 'mi' in 'și-mi asum' is a reflexive pronoun that adds emphasis, implying a personal acceptance of blame. It could be translated as 'and I myself take all the blame'. It's not strictly necessary but adds a personal touch.

• Și le-am mărit procentele pentru export în China

  ➔ Perfect Compound Tense ('am mărit')

  ➔ 'Am mărit' is the perfect compound tense of the verb 'a mări' (to increase), indicating a completed action in the past. It highlights the result of the action. 'I have increased'.

• Le pun două nume false, Yaonbuci și Cekurai

  ➔ Dative Pronoun 'Le'

  ➔ 'Le' is a dative pronoun, meaning 'to them'. It indicates that the action of 'pun' (I give/assign) is directed towards the women. 'I give them two false names'.

• Hai că am ajuns și-n China, nu credeam că ajung aici

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood ('credeam că ajung')

  ➔ While not strictly subjunctive, the phrase 'nu credeam că ajung' expresses a lack of belief or expectation about reaching China. It implies a condition or possibility rather than a definite fact. In Romanian, this is often expressed with 'că' + subjunctive-like verb forms, though the distinction is blurry.

• Româncele ia cu totul că ăștia sunt cei mai mici

  ➔ Superlative ('cei mai mici')

  ➔ 'Cei mai mici' is the superlative form of 'mic' (small). It means 'the smallest' or 'the shortest'. It's used here to describe the Chinese men, potentially in a derogatory way.

• Intră câte șase-șapte, zici că-s boabe de orez

  ➔ Impersonal 'Zici că' + Comparative

  ➔ 'Zici că' means 'You'd say that' or 'It's like'. It's used impersonally to make a comparison. The comparison is that the women entering look like grains of rice because there are so many of them.

• Dragoste pe interes, sus pe zidul chinezesc

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase ('pe interes')

  ➔ 'Pe interes' means 'based on interest' or 'for personal gain'. It describes the nature of the love being referred to.

• Vreau neapărat să-i ard, să ne dea pinul la card

  ➔ Subjunctive (să-i ard, să ne dea)

  ➔ The structure 'să + verb' expresses a desire or intention. 'Să-i ard' (I want to trick/scam him), 'să ne dea pinul la card' (that he gives us the PIN for the card).