Shake Body
Lyrics:
Vocabulary in this song:
Vocabulary | Meanings |
---|---|
shake /ʃeɪk/ A2 |
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body /ˈbɒdi/ A1 |
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move /muːv/ A1 |
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alarm /əˈlɑːm/ B1 |
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money /ˈmʌni/ A1 |
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feel /fiːl/ A1 |
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ransom /ˈrænsəm/ B2 |
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young /jʌŋ/ A1 |
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rich /rɪtʃ/ A2 |
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handsome /ˈhænsəm/ B1 |
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blessing /ˈblɛsɪŋ/ B1 |
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love /lʌv/ A1 |
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run /rʌn/ A1 |
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designer /dɪˈzaɪnə(r)/ B1 |
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unaware /ˌʌnəˈweə(r)/ B2 |
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music /ˈmjuːzɪk/ A1 |
|
hater /ˈheɪtə(r)/ B2 |
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fear /fɪə(r)/ A2 |
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Grammar:
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Them girls just dey feelme now
➔ Nigerian Pidgin English Progressive Aspect
➔ The phrase "dey feelme" uses "dey" + verb, which is characteristic of Nigerian Pidgin English (NPE) to indicate an ongoing action, similar to "are feeling" in standard English. For B2-C1 learners, recognizing variations of English is key.
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Back then they do me anyhow
➔ Informal/Pidgin English Past Tense & Adverb Usage
➔ Here, "do" is used in a past context instead of the standard "did" or "treated," common in informal speech or Pidgin English. "Anyhow" is used as an adverb meaning 'badly' or 'carelessly.' This highlights colloquialisms.
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Them wan hold me forransom
➔ Nigerian Pidgin English Subject Pronoun and Verb Form
➔ "Them wan" is a common NPE construction for "They want to." "Them" acts as a subject pronoun (instead of 'They'), and "wan" is a shortened form of 'want to'. This shows a distinct grammatical structure.
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Cause am young and am rich and I'm handsome
➔ Informal Contraction
➔ The use of "am" instead of the standard "I'm" (a contraction of "I am") is common in informal, colloquial speech, particularly in certain dialects or fast spoken English. It's a key feature of spoken fluency.
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I dey run things from lagos to london
➔ Nigerian Pidgin English Progressive Aspect with Idiom
➔ This line combines the NPE progressive marker "dey" with the idiom "run things." "Dey run things" means 'am managing/controlling things.' Understanding such idiomatic expressions within dialectal grammar is advanced.
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All the blessings and love I dey see just dey make me dey shout halleluyah eh
➔ Repeated Progressive Aspect for Emphasis
➔ The multiple uses of "dey" emphasize the continuous nature of the actions: 'I am seeing' (I dey see) and 'is making me shout' (dey make me dey shout). This repetition intensifies the meaning.
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Na designer I wear now
➔ Nigerian Pidgin English Emphatic Marker
➔ "Na" is an emphatic marker in NPE, similar to a cleft sentence structure in standard English ("It is designer that I wear now"). It puts strong emphasis on the word or phrase immediately following it.
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I dey take all the girls unaware now
➔ Nigerian Pidgin English Progressive Aspect with Phrasal Verb
➔ This uses the NPE progressive "dey" with the phrasal verb "take... unaware," meaning to surprise someone. The combination shows ongoing action in a specific idiomatic context.
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Ah, I'm theman of theyear now
➔ Fixed Idiomatic Expression
➔ "The man of the year" is a widely recognized fixed idiom used to describe someone who has achieved outstanding success or recognition within a given year. Recognizing and using such idioms is a sign of C1-C2 proficiency.
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And nobody fit doubledare me
➔ Nigerian Pidgin English Modal Verb Usage
➔ In NPE, "fit" is commonly used as a modal verb to mean "can" or "is able to," expressing possibility or capability. Standard English would use "can." This demonstrates regional modal verb variations.