El Pájaro Carpintero – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Marlore Anwandter

Lyrics & Translation

[Spanish]

[English]

Toc toc toc toc toc toc toc

Knock knock knock knock knock knock knock

Un pájaro carpintero

A woodpecker

se puso a martillar

started hammering

toc toc

knock knock

haciéndole un agujero

making a hole

a un gordísimo peral

in a very fat pear tree

toc toc

knock knock

las peras le reclamaron

the pears protested

gritando a más no poder

shouting as loud as they could

si sigues martillando

If you keep hammering

nos vamos a caer

we're going to fall

si sigues martillando

If you keep hammering

nos vamos a caer

we're going to fall

toc toc toc

Knock knock knock

toc toc toc

Knock knock knock

toc toc toc toc toc toc

Knock knock knock knock knock knock

el pájaro carpintero

The woodpecker

siguió con su martillar

kept on hammering

toc toc toc

knock knock knock

y las peras se cayeron

And the pears fell down

debajito del peral

right below the tree

toc toc toc

Knock knock knock

el pájaro carpintero

The woodpecker

las tuvo que colgar

had to hang them

con elástico de goma

with a rubber band

y alambre de metal

and some wire

con elástico de goma

with a rubber band

y alambre de metal

and some wire

toc toc toc

Knock knock knock

toc toc toc

Knock knock knock

toc toc toc toc toc toc

Knock knock knock knock knock knock

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
pájaro /paˈxaɾo/ A2	noun - bird noun - bird (generally)
carpintero /kaɾpinteˈɾo/ B1	noun - carpenter
martillar /maɾtiˈʝaɾ/ B2	verb - to hammer
agujero /aɣuˈxeɾo/ B2	noun - hole
peral /peˈɾal/ B2	noun - pear tree
peras /ˈpeɾas/ A2	noun - pears
reclamar /reklaˈmaɾ/ B1	verb - to complain
gritando /gɾiˈtando/ B2	verb - shouting
sigues /siˈɣwes/ A2	verb - you continue
martillando /maɾtiˈʝanðo/ B2	verb - hammering (continuous)
caer /kaˈɾeɾ/ A2	verb - to fall
colgar /kolˈɣaɾ/ B2	verb - to hang
elástico /eˈlástico/ B2	noun / adjective - elastic / elastic band
goma /ˈɣoma/ A2	noun - rubber / rubber band
alambre /aˈlambɾe/ B2	noun - wire

Key Grammar Structures

• Un pájaro carpintero se puso a martillar.

  ➔ Simple past tense (preterite) to describe a completed action.

  ➔ The phrase "se puso" indicates that the action of starting to hammer was completed.

• Las peras le reclamaron gritando a más no poder.

  ➔ Gerund to indicate simultaneous actions.

  ➔ The use of "gritando" shows that the pears were shouting at the same time they were complaining.

• Si sigues martillando, nos vamos a caer.

  ➔ Conditional sentences to express hypothetical situations.

  ➔ The phrase "si sigues" introduces a condition that leads to a consequence.

• Las peras se cayeron debajito del peral.

  ➔ Reflexive verbs to indicate actions performed on oneself.

  ➔ The use of "se cayeron" indicates that the pears fell by themselves.

• Con elástico de goma y alambre de metal.

  ➔ Prepositional phrases to indicate means or instruments.

  ➔ The phrase "con elástico de goma y alambre de metal" specifies the materials used.