Tana – Bilingual Lyrics French/English
Lyrics & Translation
Key Vocabulary
Vocabulary | Meanings |
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tana /ta.na/ C1 |
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bâtard /bɑ.taʁ/ B2 |
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chaud /ʃo/ B2 |
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boule /bul/ B2 |
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bugger /by.ɡe/ B2 |
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calle /kal/ C1 |
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gamos /ɡa.mo/ C1 |
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ténèbres /te.nɛbʁ/ B2 |
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pillave /pi.jav/ B2 |
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kiffant /ki.fɑ̃/ B2 |
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sous-sous /su.su/ B2 |
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bomba /bɔ̃.ba/ B2 |
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Latina /la.ti.na/ B1 |
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se tailler /sə ta.je/ B2 |
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donner /dɔ.ne/ A1 |
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chercher /ʃɛʁ.ʃe/ A1 |
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faire /fɛʁ/ A1 |
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bon/bonne /bɔ̃/ (masc.) /bɔn/ (fem.) B2 |
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grave /ɡʁav/ B2 |
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argent /aʁ.ʒɑ̃/ A1 |
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Key Grammar Structures
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C'est une vraie tana.
➔ Impersonal expression "C'est" + Indefinite Article and Adjective Agreement
➔ The phrase ""C'est une vraie tana"" uses the very common impersonal expression ""C'est"" (It is / She is), followed by the feminine indefinite article ""une"" and the adjective ""vraie"" (true/real), which agrees in gender and number with the noun ""tana"".
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il a pris l'argent du charbon, il s'est taillé à Pattaya
➔ Passé Composé with "avoir" vs. "être" (Pronominal Verb)
➔ The sentence uses the ""passé composé"" (compound past tense). ""Il a pris"" (he took) is formed with the auxiliary verb ""avoir"". ""Il s'est taillé"" (he ran off / fled) is formed with the auxiliary verb ""être"" because ""se tailler"" is a pronominal verb (reflexive action), and the past participle ""taillé"" agrees with the subject ""il"".
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C'est chaud, devant son gros boule, ça bug.
➔ Informal "C'est" + Impersonal Pronoun "Ça" + Anglophone Verb ("bugger")
➔ ""C'est chaud"" is an informal French expression meaning ""It's intense/difficult/hot."" ""Ça bug"" is a colloquial expression, an anglicism from ""to bug"" (malfunction), used impersonally with ""ça"" to describe being overwhelmed or freezing due to an impressive sight.
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Elle aime trop la calle et les gamos des ténèbres.
➔ Adverb of Quantity "Trop" + Definite Articles + Prepositional Contraction "des"
➔ ""Trop"" (too much/many) is an adverb indicating excess. ""La calle"" and ""les gamos"" use definite articles. ""Des ténèbres"" (of the shadows) is a contraction of the preposition ""de"" (of/from) and the definite article ""les"", forming ""des"".
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Ah là là, elle donne pas l'heure à la base.
➔ Informal Negation (Omission of "ne") + Informal Adverbial Phrase "à la base"
➔ In informal spoken French, the first part of the negation ""ne"" is often omitted, so ""elle donne pas"" is used instead of ""elle ne donne pas"" (she doesn't give). ""À la base"" is a common informal expression meaning ""basically"" or ""initially.""
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Il faut minimum la black card.
➔ Impersonal Verb "Il faut"
➔ ""Il faut"" is an impersonal verb expression meaning ""It is necessary"" or ""One must."" It can be followed by an infinitive verb (e.g., il faut partir) or, as here, by a noun phrase (e.g., ""la black card"") indicating what is required.
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Elle veut d'la patata, elle fait halal rabat.
➔ Informal Contraction "d'la" + Slang Expressions
➔ ""D'la"" is an informal contraction of ""de la."" ""Faire halal rabat"" is a slang phrase. ""Faire halal"" implies making something seem legitimate or morally acceptable, often with an underlying insincerity, and ""rabat"" refers to a discount or deal, collectively implying shrewd and potentially deceptive dealings for personal gain.
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J'ai plus d'amour à donner.
➔ Negative Adverb "plus de" + Preposition "à" + Infinitive
➔ ""Plus d'amour"" (no more love) uses the negative adverb ""plus de"" (with ""ne"" implicitly omitted as common in informal speech). The phrase ""à donner"" (to give) uses the preposition ""à"" followed by an infinitive, specifying the purpose or characteristic of the preceding noun.
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Y'en a trop qui font les folles.
➔ Informal Impersonal Expression "Y'en a" + Relative Pronoun "qui"
➔ ""Y'en a"" is an informal contraction of ""il y en a"" (there are some). ""Trop"" means ""too many."" ""Qui font les folles"" is a relative clause introduced by ""qui"" (who), describing the individuals. ""Faire les folles"" is an informal expression meaning ""to act crazy/wild.""