Te Me Olvidas – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: José José

Lyrics & Translation

Step into the deep, expressive world of the Latin American bolero with José José’s classic "Te Me Olvidas." As a masterclass in vocal control and emotional delivery, this song is perfect for language learners to grasp the subtleties of Spanish romantic vocabulary, particularly phrases expressing deep melancholy and the involuntary process of forgetting a loved one. Its slow, measured pace and passionate yet clear delivery make the poetic, resigned lyrics easy to follow.

[English]

You're fading from my memory

And truly, it's not my fault

The feelings get all mixed up

When I sense the distance between us

Because suffering alone isn’t enough

Nor the pain of the wounds

To keep passions

Burning bright

What’s missing is the constant connection

The warmth of your touch

All the little things

We lived day by day

That’s why, feeling you so distant

From my life

Even though I don’t want to forget you, little by little

You’re slipping from my mind

...

What’s missing is the constant connection

The warmth of your touch

All the little things

We lived day by day

That’s why, feeling you so distant

From my life

Even though I don’t want to forget you, little by little

You’re slipping from my mind

...

[Spanish]

Vas muriendo en mi recuerdo

Y en verdad no es culpa mía

Se confunde el sentimiento

Al sentir la lejanía

Pues no basta el sufrimiento

Ni el dolor de las heridas

Para hacer que las pasiones

Se conserven encendidas

Falta el trato continuado

El sabor de las caricias

Todas las pequeñas cosas

Que se viven día con día

Es por eso que al sentirte tan ausente

De mi vida

Aunque no quiera olvidarte, poco a poco

Te me olvidas

Falta el trato continuado

El sabor de las caricias

Todas las pequeñas cosas

Que se viven día con día

Es por eso que al sentirte tan ausente

De mi vida

Aunque no quiera olvidarte, poco a poco

Te me olvidas

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
muriendo muˈɾjen.do A2	verb - dying
recuerdo reˈkweɾ.do A1	noun - memory
confunde konˈfun.de A2	verb - confuses
sentimiento sen.tiˈmjen.to A2	noun - feeling
lejanía le.xaˈni.a B1	noun - distance
sufrimiento su.fɾi.ˈmjen.to A2	noun - suffering
heridas eˈɾi.ðas A2	noun - wounds
pasiones pa.ˈsjo.nes A2	noun - passions
conserven kon.ˈser.βen B1	verb - preserve
encendidas en.senˈði.ðas B1	adjective - lit
trato ˈtra.to A2	noun - treatment
caricias ka.ˈɾi.θjas A2	noun - caresses
pequeñas peˈke.ɲas A1	adjective - small
ausente auˈsen.te A2	adjective - absent
olvidarte ol.βiˈðar.te A2	verb - to forget you
olvidas ol.ˈβi.ðas A2	verb - you forget

Key Grammar Structures

• Vas muriendo en mi recuerdo

  ➔ Present continuous tense

  ➔ The phrase uses the present continuous tense with 'vas muriendo' to express an action happening now, emphasizing the ongoing process of fading from memory.

• Se confunde el sentimiento

  ➔ Passive voice

  ➔ The sentence uses the passive voice with 'se confunde' to emphasize the action rather than the subject performing it, highlighting the confusion of feelings.

• Para hacer que las pasiones Se conserven encendidas

  ➔ Subjunctive mood

  ➔ The subjunctive mood is used in 'se conserven' to express a wish or desire, indicating the intention to keep passions alive.

• Aunque no quiera olvidarte, poco a poco Te me olvidas

  ➔ Contrastive conjunction

  ➔ The contrastive conjunction 'aunque' is used to introduce a contrasting idea, showing the conflict between not wanting to forget and gradually forgetting.