初恋 – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: 宇多田ヒカル
• Album: 初恋

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a heartfelt journey into the Japanese language with Utada Hikaru's '初恋' (Hatsukoi). This beautifully crafted song, rich with poetic lyricism and tender melodies, offers an authentic glimpse into the nuanced expressions of love, memory, and profound human connection in Japanese. Its universal themes, conveyed through Utada's signature artistry, make it an engaging and emotionally resonant piece for language learners.

[English]

My heart is pounding so loud

My feet are awkwardly frozen now

Tears quietly streaming down my cheek

Tell me, this is first love

I need you, I need you

I need you, I need you

I need you, I need you

I need you, I need you

Everyone, as human beings

Naturally falls in love, I always thought

I always thought. But

If I hadn't met you

I don't think anyone else

Could have ever made me feel this way

My heart is pounding so loud

My feet are running on their own now

Tears surely streaming down my cheek

Tell me, this is first love

I need you, I need you

I need you, I need you

I need you, I need you

I need you, I need you

Blaming things I couldn't help

On other people

Pretending to accept them

All along

If I hadn't met you

I might have just lived on

Without knowing the reason I was born

I want to give this fragile me

Who gets hurt by a single word, to you now

A season that will never come again

Was about to end

Clumsily

The things I want

Are within reach

There's no way I can't chase them

Is it right? The truth is

No one really knows

The branches trembling in the wind

Reach out towards the sunlight

We rejoiced over little things

And got hurt over little things too

My heart is pounding madly

The gentle rain taps my shoulder now

The tears I tried to hold back are overflowing

Tell me, this is first love

I need you, I need you

I need you, I need you

I need you, I need you

I need you

...

[Japanese]

うるさいほどに高鳴る胸が

柄にもなく竦む足が今

静かに頬を伝う涙が

私に知らせる これが初恋と

I need you, I need you

I need you, I need you

I need you, I need you

I need you, I need you

人間なら誰しも

当たり前に恋をするものだと

ずっと思っていた だけど

もしもあなたに出会わずにいたら

誰かにいつかこんな気持ちに

させられたとは思えない

うるさいほどに高鳴る胸が

勝手に走り出す足が今

確かに頬を伝う涙が

私に知らせる これが初恋と

I need you, I need you

I need you, I need you

I need you, I need you

I need you, I need you

どうしようもないことを

人のせいにしては

受け入れてるフリをしていたんだ

ずっと

もしもあなたに出会わずにいたら

私はただ生きていたかもしれない

生まれてきた意味も知らずに

言葉一つで傷つくような

ヤワな私を捧げたい今

二度と訪れない季節が

終わりを告げようとしていた

不器用に

欲しいものが

手の届くとこに見える

追わずにいられるわけがない

正しいのかなんて本当は

誰も知らない

風に吹かれ震える梢が

陽の射す方へと伸びていくわ

小さなことで喜び合えば

小さなことで傷つきもした

狂おしく高鳴る胸が

優しく肩を打つ雨が今

こらえても溢れる涙が

私に知らせる これが初恋と

I need you, I need you

I need you, I need you

I need you, I need you

I need you

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
胸 /むね/ A2	noun - chest
涙 /なみだ/ A2	noun - tear
恋 /こい/ A2	noun - love
出会う /であう/ B1	verb - to meet
喜び /よろこび/ B1	noun - joy
傷つく /きずつく/ B2	verb - to get hurt
季節 /きせつ/ B2	noun - season
意味 /いみ/ B2	noun - meaning
手 /て/ A1	noun - hand
風 /かぜ/ A2	noun - wind
雨 /あめ/ A1	noun - rain
足 /あし/ A1	noun - foot/leg
高鳴る /たかなる/ B2	verb - to throb
狂おしい /くるおしい/ C1	adjective - frantic
不器用 /ぶきよう/ C1	adjective - clumsy
正しい /ただしい/ B2	adjective - correct
告げる /つげる/ B2	verb - to tell

Key Grammar Structures

• が

  ➔ Subject marker (ga)

  ➔ In the phrase "静かに頬を伝う涙が", "が" marks "涙" (tears) as the subject performing the action.

• て form + いる

  ➔ The te-form combined with いる forms an ongoing or continuous action (present progressive).

  ➔ In the phrase "頬を伝う涙が", although not explicitly used here, the structure "伝う" can be combined with ている" to express continuous action.

• と

  ➔ Quoting particle used to indicate direct speech or thought.

  ➔ In "必要だと知らせる", "と" introduces the content of what is being communicated or thought.

• ながら

  ➔ Conjunction meaning 'while' or 'nodding' demonstrating two simultaneous actions.

  ➔ Although not directly in the lyrics, the structure "喜び合えば" implies performing an action "together," which can relate to "ながら" when describing simultaneous activities.

• 終わりを告げようとしていた

  ➔ Volitional form + としていた: expressing an attempted or planned action in the past.

  ➔ In "終わりを告げようとしていた", the phrase indicates an ongoing attempt or intention in the past to bring something to an end.

• 見える

  ➔ Potential form; indicates ability to see or perceive.

  ➔ In "陽の射す方へと伸びていく", "見える" is implied as the view or perception of the scene when something extends toward the sunlight.