錯配 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 周柏豪

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the poignant lyrics of Pakho Chau's "錯配" to not only appreciate its emotional depth but also to enhance your understanding of Cantonese through its evocative storytelling. This song is special for its relatable theme of 'mismatched timing' in love, offering a window into everyday romantic regrets expressed beautifully in Cantonese.

[English]

A day of mismatched timing, we meet again after parting

Finally, we promise it's been a while since we saw each other

Shyness I can't hide, even with my eyes closed I can still see it

I say I've never changed

Parting is the painful start, I can't shake off these feelings when we say goodbye

But in my mind, I keep seeing the moment you left

Mismatched love

Can't handle too many surprises, time makes us depend on each other

Quietly bearing the hurt

Losing patience, no longer waiting for the future we once imagined

Keep the simple dreams for you, I wish you'd come back

Standing outside happiness’s door, I can't seem to get in

How can we start over?

Mismatched love

Can't handle too many surprises, time makes us depend on each other

Quietly bearing the hurt

Losing patience, no longer waiting for the future we once dreamed of

Keep the simple dreams for you

I don't understand, back then we were just kids

Always unable to confess, pushing away at difficulties

Yesterday is not left blank, memories shape the future

Slowly leaving and disappearing into the crowd, I wish you'd come back

Mismatched love

Can't handle too many surprises, time makes us depend on each other

Quietly bearing the hurt

Losing patience, no longer waiting for the future we once dreamed of

Keep the simple dreams for you

I don't understand, back then we were just kids

Always unable to confess, pushing away at difficulties

Yesterday is not left blank, memories shape the future

Slowly leaving and disappearing into the crowd, I wish you'd come back

...

[Chinese]

時間錯配的一天 分開後再次碰面

好不容易說好久不見

不能隱藏的靦腆 閉上眼還看得見

我說我從來沒有改變

分開就是痛苦的起點 再見揮不走想念

腦海卻出現你離開的畫面

錯配的愛

承受不了太多意外 時間將互相的依賴

靜靜揹負了傷害

失去忍耐 不再等待 彼此曾幻想的未來

單純的夢想還給你留著 好想你回來

一個人在幸福的門外 一直也走不進來

要怎麼樣我們才可以重來

錯配的愛

承受不了太多意外 時間將互相的依賴

靜靜揹負了傷害

失去忍耐 不再等待 彼此曾幻想的未來

單純的夢想還給你留著

我不明白 過去我們像個小孩

彼此總是不懂告白 遇到困難就推開

逝去的昨天不留白 記憶成就了未來

慢慢離開消失在人海 好想你回來

錯配的愛

承受不了太多意外 時間將互相的依賴

靜靜揹負了傷害

失去忍耐 不再等待 彼此曾幻想的未來

單純的夢想還給你留著

我不明白 過去我們像個小孩

彼此總是不懂告白 遇到困難就推開

逝去的昨天不留白 記憶成就了未來

慢慢離開消失在人海 好想你回來

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
時間 /shíjiān/ A1	noun - time
愛 /ài/ A1	noun - love
痛苦 /tòngkǔ/ B1	noun - pain, suffering
幻想 /huànxiǎng/ B2	noun - fantasy, illusion
未來 /wèilái/ A2	noun - future
記憶 /jìyì/ B2	noun - memory
傷害 /shānghài/ B2	noun - harm, injury
回來 /huílái/ A2	verb - to return
分開 /fēnkāi/ A2	verb - to separate
忍耐 /rěnnài/ B1	noun - patience, endurance
困難 /kùnnán/ B1	noun - difficulty, hardship
小孩 /xiǎohái/ A1	noun - child
畫面 /huàmiàn/ B1	noun - scene, image
依賴 /yīlài/ B2	verb - to rely on, depend on
消失 /xiāoshī/ B1	verb - to disappear
想念 /xiǎngniàn/ B1	verb - to miss, long for

Key Grammar Structures

• 時間錯配的一天

  ➔ Possessive structure using '的' (de) to indicate attribution or description.

  ➔ The phrase '時間錯配的一天' uses '的' to connect an adjective phrase '時間錯配的' with the noun '一天', forming a compound noun meaning 'a day of mismatched time'.

• 分開後再次碰面

  ➔ Verb + 後 + 再次 + Verb structure to indicate 'after doing something again'.

  ➔ The phrase '分開後再次碰面' uses '後' to denote 'after the separation' and '再次' to mean 'again', forming the idea of meeting again after parting.

• 不能隱藏的靦腆

  ➔ Adjective + 的 to form a descriptive phrase modifying a noun.

  ➔ The phrase '不能隱藏的靦腆' uses '的' to connect '靦腆' (shyness) to the adjective phrase '不能隱藏的' (cannot hide), describing the shyness that cannot be concealed.

• 彼此總是不懂告白

  ➔ Adverb + 不 + verb to express 'not understanding' or behaviors that are not happening.

  ➔ The phrase '彼此總是不懂告白' uses '不' before '懂' (understand) to indicate 'not understanding', emphasizing mutual inability or failure to confess feelings.