Dime Cómo Quieres – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Christian Nodal, Ángela Aguilar

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the romantic narrative of 'Dime Cómo Quieres,' a vibrant Mariachi ballad by Christian Nodal and Ángela Aguilar. This song offers a delightful way to engage with Spanish, showcasing charming lyrics about love and devotion that can help you learn conversational phrases and cultural nuances.

[English]

It all started when I saw you passing by

I felt something so beautiful I can't explain

You caught me and I liked you even more

Oh, what a lovely ranch girl, hi, how are you?

Just so you know right now, sweet words aren't enough to win me over

I'm not one of those easy girls, like those other girls I've seen you with

What if I bring you roses? (they'll still wither anyway)

What if I serenade you? (my dad will still chase you away)

Oh!

Tell me how you want me to love you

This guy will do it your way

Ask for that beautiful little mouth

Because I would give anything for you

Tell me what more you want me to say

If my friends don't love you

And my family loves you even less

What will they think if they see us someday?

Oh, oh, oh

I'm not as bad as they say out there

Oh, oh, oh

I'm not foolish enough to let myself be fooled, oh-oh

...

Ha, ha, oh, Angelita, don't be so mean

And you, don't be so flirtatious

...

What if I bring you roses? (they'll still wither anyway)

What if I serenade you? (my dad will still chase you away)

Oh!

Tell me how you want me to love you

This guy will do it your way

Ask for that beautiful little mouth

Because I would give anything for you

Tell me what more you want me to say

If my friends don't love you

And my family loves you even less

What will they think if they see us someday?

Oh, oh, oh

I'm not as bad as they say out there

Oh, oh, oh

I'm not foolish enough to let myself be fooled, oh-oh

...

[Spanish]

Todo empezó cuando te vi pasar

Sentí algo tan bonito que no sé explicar

Tú me cachaste y me gustaste más

Ay, qué chula rancherita, hola, ¿cómo estás?

Te aviso desde ahorita que con palabras bonitas no te alcanza pa' poderme conquistar

No soy de esas facilitas, como aquellas muchachitas con las que yo siempre te he mirado andar

¿Y si te llevo rosas? (cómo quiera se me van a marchitar)

¿Y si te llevo serenata? (cómo quiera te va a correr mi papá)

¡Ay!

Dime cómo quieres que te quiera

Este vato se hace a tu manera

Pide por esa boquita hermosa

Que por ti daría cualquier cosa

Dime que más quieres que te diga

Si a ti no te quieren mis amigas

Y un poquito menos mi familia

¿Qué van a pensar si un día nos miran?

Ay, ay, ay

Yo no soy tan malo como dicen por ahí

Ay, ay, ay

No soy una tonta pa' dejarme engañar, oh-oh

Ja, ja, ay, Angelita, ya no seas tan mala

Y usted no sea tan coqueto

¿Y si te llevo rosas? (cómo quiera se me van a marchitar)

¿Y si te llevo serenata? (cómo quiera te va a correr mi papá)

¡Ay!

Dime cómo quieres que te quiera

Este vato se hace a tu manera

Pide por esa boquita hermosa

Que por ti daría cualquier cosa

Dime que más quieres que te diga

Si a ti no te quieren mis amigas

Y un poquito menos mi familia

¿Qué van a pensar si un día nos miran?

Ay, ay, ay

Yo no soy tan malo como dicen por ahí

Ay, ay, ay

No soy una tonta pa' dejarme engañar, oh-oh

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
pasar /paˈsaɾ/ A1	verb - to pass, to happen
bonito /boˈnito/ A1	adjective - pretty, beautiful
gustar /ɡusˈtaɾ/ A1	verb - to like
chula /ˈtʃula/ A2	adjective - cute, beautiful (Mexico)
palabras /paˈlabɾas/ A1	noun - words
conquistar /koŋkisˈtaɾ/ B1	verb - to conquer, to win over
rosas /ˈrosas/ A1	noun - roses
marchitar /maɾtʃiˈtaɾ/ B2	verb - to wilt, to wither
serenata /seɾeˈnata/ A2	noun - serenade
correr /koˈreɾ/ A1	verb - to run, to chase away
manera /maˈneɾa/ A2	noun - way, manner
hermosa /eɾˈmosa/ A2	adjective - beautiful
amigas /aˈmiɣas/ A1	noun - friends (female)
familia /faˈmilja/ A1	noun - family
malo /ˈmalo/ A1	adjective - bad
engañar /eŋɡaˈɲaɾ/ B1	verb - to deceive, to cheat
coqueto /koˈketo/ B2	adjective - flirtatious, coquettish

Key Grammar Structures

• Sentí algo tan bonito que no sé explicar

  ➔ Relative Clause with 'que'

  ➔ The 'que' connects the main clause ('Sentí algo tan bonito') to the relative clause ('no sé explicar'). It acts as the subject of the verb 'explicar'. This construction allows the singer to express a quality about the 'algo' which they can't explain.

• Tú me cachaste y me gustaste más

  ➔ Use of reflexive pronouns with verbs like 'gustar'

  ➔ The phrase 'me gustaste más' literally translates to 'you pleased me more.' The verb 'gustar' requires an indirect object pronoun ('me' in this case) to indicate who is being pleased. This construction is common for expressing likes and dislikes.

• que con palabras bonitas no te alcanza pa' poderme conquistar

  ➔ Use of 'alcanzar' + 'para' + infinitive to express 'to be enough to'

  ➔ The structure 'no te alcanza para' means 'it's not enough for you to'. Here, it means that beautiful words are not enough for him to be able to conquer her.

• como aquellas muchachitas con las que yo siempre te he mirado andar

  ➔ Relative pronouns ('con las que') referring to people

  ➔ 'Con las que' refers back to 'aquellas muchachitas' (those girls) and is the object of the preposition 'con' (with). The entire phrase describes the type of girls he is usually seen with. The phrase 'he mirado andar' is using 'mirar' to describe seeing him with them.

• ¿Y si te llevo rosas? (cómo quiera se me van a marchitar)

  ➔ Conditional 'si' clause (hypothetical scenario) and future tense

  ➔ The question '¿Y si te llevo rosas?' sets up a hypothetical scenario: what if I bring you roses? The response '(cómo quiera se me van a marchitar)' uses the future tense ('van a marchitar') to indicate that even if he did, they would wither anyway.

• Dime cómo quieres que te quiera

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood after 'querer' expressing desire or request

  ➔ The use of the subjunctive 'quiera' after 'quieres' indicates a desire or request for something to happen. He is asking her to tell him how she wants to be loved. The clause 'que te quiera' needs the subjunctive.

• Este vato se hace a tu manera

  ➔ Use of 'hacerse a' to mean 'to adapt to' or 'to conform to'

  ➔ 'Hacerse a' in this context means that he will adapt or conform to her way of doing things. He's willing to change to be with her.

• Si a ti no te quieren mis amigas

  ➔ The use of the personal 'a' with direct objects when referring to people

  ➔ The 'a' before 'ti' is the personal 'a'. It's used when the direct object of a verb is a specific person. So in this case, 'mis amigas' do not like 'you (ti)'.