Flavor Of Life -Ballad Version- – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: 宇多田ヒカル, Utada Hikaru

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the poignant emotions and relatable struggles of love through Utada Hikaru's "Flavor of Life". This song offers a beautifully melancholic exploration of relationships, capturing the bittersweet essence of life and love in a way that resonates deeply.

[English]

Thank you. When you say that to me,

Somehow, it makes me lonely.

Even after saying goodbye, the magic remains unbroken.

Faint and just a little bitter.

The flavor of life.

The flavor of life.

In the middle ground between friends and lovers,

Dreaming of the day of harvest, blue fruits.

Because I can't take that one step forward,

It's so frustrating, baby.

Thank you. When you say that to me,

Somehow, it makes me lonely.

Even after saying goodbye, the magic remains unbroken.

Faint and just a little bitter.

The flavor of life.

The flavor of life.

A sweet, empty line of flattery,

Tasteless talk,

I'm not interested in that kind of thing.

Even when things don’t go as planned,

It’s not the end of the world.

When I’m suddenly asked, “What’s wrong?”,

No, it’s nothing.

The smile that disappears after saying goodbye.

Not really myself.

The more I want to believe,

Somehow, it makes me lonely.

More than “I love you,”

Wouldn’t “I really like you” suit you better?

The flavor of life.

Just as I start to forget someone's scent,

I want to honestly enjoy the whiteness of the falling snow.

Soft and warm, more than a diamond,

I want to hold a warm future in my hands.

I want to spend this limited time with you.

Thank you. When you say that to me,

Somehow, it makes me lonely.

Even after saying goodbye, the magic remains unbroken.

Faint and just a little bitter.

The flavor of life.

The flavor of life.

The flavor of life.

Flavor of life.

The flavor of life (the flavor of life).

...

[Japanese]

ありがとう、と君に言われると

なんだかせつない

さようならの後も解けぬ魔法

淡くほろ苦い

The flavor of life

The flavor of life

友達でも恋人でもない中間地点で

収穫の日を夢見てる 青いフルーツ

あと一歩が踏み出せないせいで

じれったいのなんのってbaby

ありがとう、と君に言われると

なんだかせつない

さようならの後も解けぬ魔法

淡くほろ苦い

The flavor of life

The flavor of life

甘いだけの誘い文句

味っけの無いトーク

そんなものには興味をそそられない

思い通りにいかない時だって

人生捨てたもんじゃないって

どうしたの?と急に聞かれると

ううん、なんでもない

さようならの後に消える笑顔

私らしくない

信じたいと願えば願うほど

なんだかせつない

「愛してるよ」よりも「大好き」の方が

君らしいんじゃない?

The flavor of life

忘れかけていた人の香りを 突然思い出す頃

降りつもる雪の白さをもっと 素直に喜びたいよ

ダイアモンドよりもやわらかくて

あたたかな未来 手にしたいよ

限りある時間を 君と過ごしたい

ありがとう、と君に言われると

なんだかせつない

さようならの後も解けぬ魔法

淡くほろ苦い

The flavor of life

The flavor of life

The flavor of life

Flavor of life

The flavor of life (the flavor of life)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
ありがとう /aɾiŋato/ A2	expression - thank you
言わる /iˈwaɾaɾu/ A2	verb - to be said
せつない /setsu nai/ B1	adjective - painful, heart-wrenching
さようなら /saˈjoi̯ naɾa/ A2	expression - goodbye
解けぬ /toke nu/ B2	verb - unable to melt, unable to untie
魔法 /mahou/ B2	noun - magic
ほろ苦い /horo nikui/ B2	adjective - slightly bitter
人生 /jinsei/ B1	noun - life
収穫 /shuukaku/ B2	noun - harvest
夢見る /yumemiru/ B2	verb - to dream
青い /aoi/ A2	adjective - blue
一歩 /ippo/ A2	noun - one step
踏み出す /fumikasu/ B2	verb - to take a step forward
未来 /mirai/ B1	noun - future
時間 /jikan/ A2	noun - time

Key Grammar Structures

• と君に言われると

  ➔ When (I) am told by you

  ➔ The particle "と" is used here as an indirect quote marker, indicating that the following phrase is what is being said or perceived.

• 解けぬ魔法

  ➔ Unbreakable magic / magic that cannot be undone

  ➔ The adjective "解けぬ" is a classical or literary form of "解けない" meaning "cannot be undone or broken".

• 淡くほろ苦い

  ➔ Light and bittersweet

  ➔ Both words are adjectives describing a flavor or feeling; "淡く" is an adverbial form meaning "lightly" or "faintly," and "ほろ苦い" is an i-adjective meaning "slightly bitter."

• 信じたいと願えば願うほど

  ➔ The more (you) wish to believe, the more (you) wish for

  ➔ The pattern "ils-ば-ほど" expresses "the more ... the more ..." meaning an increasing or diminishing relationship.

• あたたかな未来

  ➔ A warm future

  ➔ "あたたか（な）" is an i-adjective in its な-adjective form, meaning "warm" or "温暖."