君の名は希望 (Kimi No Na Wa Kibo) – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English
Lyrics & Translation
Dive into the heartfelt world of Nogizaka46 with "Kimi no Na wa Kibou," a beloved J-pop ballad that eloquently expresses themes of hope, love, and self-discovery. Learning the lyrics to this song can offer insights into emotional nuances in Japanese, while its enduring popularity and beautiful melody make it a perfect entry point for understanding the rich cultural landscape of Japanese idol music.
This is Inoue Nagi from Nogizaka46.
This song is
a song that our seniors in Nogizaka46
have cherished and continued to sing,
so today we too, want to
cherish this song and deliver it to everyone.
Please listen.
"Kimi No Na Wa Kibo" (Your Name is Hope).
The first time I became aware of you
was last June, when we changed into summer clothes.
I ignored the ball that rolled over,
and you waited, looking at me,
until I picked it up.
I was called the invisible man,
but you noticed my existence.
Light shone through the gaps in the thick clouds,
and I finally had a shadow on the ground.
I had gotten used to being lonely since some day,
but this world that I had been rejecting is beautiful.
I never imagined
that I could feel so strongly
about longing for someone like this.
The future is always
a place to encounter new thrills and meetings.
I now know that your name is "Hope."
I deliberately watched you from a distance,
but sometimes, I lost sight of you.
For 24 hours, my heart was empty,
and I realized
I couldn't live alone anymore.
It's more comfortable than being alone,
I felt happiness by the side of love.
Even if I escape and hide in a crowd of people,
no one will tell me the meaning of life.
I saw the rain of sadness hitting the ground,
and I was certainly there, on top of the earth.
I never knew
love could make my heart ache so much.
It's sparkling and shining,
and even on the same day,
our footprints continue on.
I now know that your name is "Hope."
Even if you don't turn around,
I will never forget that smile.
Believing that you are always there,
I will walk straight ahead.
I don't understand anything yet,
not even about myself,
but I will listen to the cry of truth.
Come on,
I never imagined
that I could feel so strongly
about longing for someone like this.
The future is always
a place to encounter new thrills and meetings.
I now know that your name is "Hope."
Hope is
tomorrow's sky.
WOW WOW WOW
Key Vocabulary
| Vocabulary | Meanings |
|---|---|
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君 /kimi/ A1 |
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名 /na/ A1 |
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希望 /kibō/ B1 |
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僕 /boku/ A1 |
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初めて /hajimete/ A2 |
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|
意識 /ishiki/ B2 |
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夏 /natsu/ A1 |
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心 /kokoro/ A2 |
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世界 /sekai/ A2 |
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美しい /utsukushii/ B1 |
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恋しい /koishii/ B2 |
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未来 /mirai/ A2 |
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時 /toki/ A1 |
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姿 /sugata/ B1 |
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愛 /ai/ A2 |
|
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人生 /jinsei/ B1 |
|
“君, 名, 希望” – got them all figured out?
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Key Grammar Structures
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乃木坂46 の 先 輩 方 が 大 切 に 歌 え 継 い で 来 て くだ さ った 楽 曲 なので
➔ Potential form + 継ぐ (tsugu) + てくる (te kuru) + くださる (kudasaru) + った (tta) + なので (nanode)
➔ **歌え (utae)** is the potential form of 歌う (utau), meaning 'can sing'. **継いでくる (tsuide kuru)** means 'to have continued coming' (from the past until now). **くださる (kudasaru)** is an honorific verb meaning 'to give (to me/us)'. **った (tta)** is the past form ending, added for emphasis and politeness, creating くださった (kudasatta). **なので (nanode)** means 'because; therefore'. This entire phrase means 'Because it is a song that our seniors in Nogizaka46 have been carefully singing and passing down to us...'
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僕が君を初めて意識したのは
➔ Topic marker は (wa) with embedded clause
➔ The sentence structure uses the topic marker **は (wa)** to indicate what the sentence is about. The clause before は (wa), '僕が君を初めて意識した (boku ga kimi o hajimete ishiki shita)' is an embedded clause acting as a noun phrase. It translates to 'The first time I became aware of you' and the entire sentence means 'The first time I became aware of you was...'
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転がって来たボールを無視してたら
➔ てくる (te kuru) - Action coming towards, Conditional たら (tara)
➔ **転がって来た (korogatte kita)**, 'came rolling' uses the verb 転がる (korogaru, to roll) in its て (te) form followed by くる (kuru, to come), showing the rolling action coming towards the speaker. **たら (tara)** is the conditional form, meaning 'if', 'when', or 'after'. So, the whole sentence translates to 'If I ignored the rolling ball that came towards me...'
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透明人間 そう呼ばれてた
➔ Passive voice (呼ばれてた - yobareteta)
➔ **呼ばれてた (yobareteta)** is the past progressive passive form of the verb 呼ぶ (yobu, to call). The passive form shows that the speaker was called 'invisible person' (透明人間 toumei ningen) by others. The entire phrase translates to 'Invisible person. I was called that.'
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いつの日からか孤独に慣れていたけど
➔ Conditional form (けど - kedo)
➔ **けど(kedo)** indicates a contrast or concession. 'I was used to being lonely from some day' *but* (the following phrase will contrast or qualify this).
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こんなに誰かを恋しくなる自分がいたなんて
➔ ていた (te ita) - Past progressive state; なんて (nante) - Expressing surprise/emotion
➔ **恋しくなる (koishiku naru)** means 'to become longing/yearning'. **恋しくなっている (koishiku natte iru)** would indicate the continuous action of becoming longing. Adding **いた (ita)** gives the past progressive state, indicating that it was a state that was happening in the past. **なんて (nante)** expresses surprise or disbelief. The speaker is surprised that they had a self that could long for someone this much.
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わざと遠い場所から君を眺めた
➔ Transitive verb + を (o) particle
➔ **眺めた (nagame ta)**, past tense of 眺める(nagameru, to gaze at) is a transitive verb requiring an object. The object, 君(kimi, you), is marked with the particle **を (o)**. 'I gazed at you from a deliberately far place.'
