THÀNH PHỐ LỚN TÌNH YÊU NHỎ – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: Tử Du, Điền Hữu Ninh

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the tender emotions of "THÀNH PHỐ LỚN TÌNH YÊU NHỎ" to discover how love blossoms in unexpected places. This beautiful song offers a wonderful opportunity to explore Vietnamese expressions of affection and the poetic imagery used to describe urban romance, making language learning a truly engaging experience.

[English]

Dark hair coiled into a ring

Entwining all my affection for you

Wrapped up in all my fondness for you

Behind the semi-transparent curtain

The words I speak are completely honest

Gé zhe bàn tòu míng mén lián

No deception at all in what I say

Gray tiles on the rooftop, a peaceful scene

The lamplight is your beautiful face

Finally, I’ve found the end to all my wandering

Your smile has ended my fatigue

Don't ever talk about forever

Lest you think I’m being unrealistic

Let’s keep things as simple as they are

That’s the truth my mother told me

My head is full of you, my heart is full of you

This little love in a big city is so sweet

I’m thinking of you, all of you

This little love in a big city is only for you

Miǎn dé nǐ jué dé wǒ bù qiē shí jì

Dark hair coiled into a ring

Entwining all my affection for you

Finally, I’ve found the end to all my wandering

Your smile has ended my fatigue

Don't ever talk about forever

Lest you think I’m being unrealistic

Let’s keep things as simple as they are

Let me loudly tell you

I’m thinking of you

My head is full of you, my heart is full of you

This little love in a big city is so sweet

I’m thinking of you, all of you

This little love in a big city is only for you

Dark hair coiled into a ring

Entwining all my affection for you

Finally, I’ve found the end to all my wandering

Your smile has ended my fatigue

Don't ever talk about forever

Lest you think I’m being unrealistic

Let’s keep things as simple as they are

Let me loudly tell you

I’m thinking of you

My head is full of you, my heart is full of you

This little love in a big city is so sweet

I’m thinking of you, all of you

This little love in a big city is only for you

The train ticket home, you kept it as a souvenir

Don’t be afraid to face parting

I cut a strand of hair to keep close to my heart

Wherever I go, you’ll be with me

Yeah

La la la la

Xiǎo xiǎo de ài zài dà chéng shì lǐ hǎo tián mì

念 的 都是 你 全部 都是 你

Niàn de dōu shì nǐ quán bù dōu shì nǐ

小小 的 爱 在 大 城市 里 只为 你倾心

Xiǎo xiǎo de ài zài dà chéng shì lǐ zhǐ wèi nǐ qīng xīn

那 回城 的 票根 你 留作 纪念

Nà huí chéng de piào gēn nǐ liú zuò jì niàn

不必 害怕 面对 离别

Bù bì hài pà miàn duì lí bié

剪掉 一 丝 头发 让 我 放在 胸前

Jiǎn diào yī sī tóu fǎ ràng wǒ fàng zài xiōng qián

走到 哪里 都有 你 陪 相随

Zǒu dào nǎ lǐ dōu yǒu nǐ péi xiāng suí

Yeah

La la la la

[Chinese]

乌黑 的 发尾 盘 成 一个 圈

Wū hēi de fǎ wěi pàn chéng yī gè quān

缠绕 所有 对 你 的 眷恋

Chán rào suǒ yǒu duì nǐ de juàn liàn

隔 着 半 透明 门帘

Gé zhe bàn tòu míng mén lián

嘴里 说 的 语言 完全 没有 欺骗

Zuǐ lǐ shuō de yǔ yán wán quán méi yǒu qī piàn

屋顶 灰色瓦 片 安静 的 画面

Wū dǐng huī sè wǎ piàn ān jìng de huà miàn

灯光 是 你 美丽 那 张 脸

Dēng guāng shì nǐ měi lì nà zhāng liǎn

终于 找到 所有 流浪 的 终点

Zhōng yú zhǎo dào suǒ yǒu liú làng de zhōng diǎn

你 的 微笑 结束 了 疲倦

Nǐ de wēi xiào jié shù le pí juàn

千万 不要 说 天长地久

Qiān wàn bù yào shuō tiān cháng dì jiǔ

免得 你 觉得 我 不切实际

Miǎn dé nǐ jué dé wǒ bù qiē shí jì

想 多么 简单 就 多么 简单

Xiǎng duō me jiǎn dān jiù duō me jiǎn dān

是 妈妈 告诉 我 的 真理

Shì mā ma gào su wǒ de zhēn lǐ

脑袋 都是 你 心里 都是 你

Nǎo dài dōu shì nǐ xīn lǐ dōu shì nǐ

小小 的 爱 在 大 城市 里 好 甜蜜

Xiǎo xiǎo de ài zài dà chéng shì lǐ hǎo tián mì

念 的 都是 你 全部 都是 你

Niàn de dōu shì nǐ quán bù dōu shì nǐ

小小 的 爱 在 大 城市 里 只为 你倾心

Xiǎo xiǎo de ài zài dà chéng shì lǐ zhǐ wèi nǐ qīng xīn

乌黑 的 发尾 盘 成 一个 圈

Wū hēi de fǎ wěi pàn chéng yī gè quān

缠绕 所有 对 你 的 眷恋

Chán rào suǒ yǒu duì nǐ de juàn liàn

终于 找到 所有 流浪 的 终点

Zhōng yú zhǎo dào suǒ yǒu liú làng de zhōng diǎn

你 的 微笑 结束 了 疲倦

Nǐ de wēi xiào jié shù le pí juàn

千万 不要 说 天长地久

Qiān wàn bù yào shuō tiān cháng dì jiǔ

免得 你 觉得 我 不切实际

Miǎn dé nǐ jué dé wǒ bù qiē shí jì

想 多么 简单 就 多么 简单

Xiǎng duō me jiǎn dān jiù duō me jiǎn dān

让 我 大声 的 对 你 说

Ràng wǒ dà shēng de duì nǐ shuō

I'm thinking of you

脑袋 都是 你 心里 都是 你

Nǎo dài dōu shì nǐ xīn lǐ dōu shì nǐ

小小 的 爱 在 大 城市 里 好 甜蜜

Xiǎo xiǎo de ài zài dà chéng shì lǐ hǎo tián mì

念 的 都是 你 全部 都是 你

Niàn de dōu shì nǐ quán bù dōu shì nǐ

小小 的 爱 在 大 城市 里 只为 你倾心

Xiǎo xiǎo de ài zài dà chéng shì lǐ zhǐ wèi nǐ qīng xīn

那 回城 的 票根 你 留作 纪念

Nà huí chéng de piào gēn nǐ liú zuò jì niàn

不必 害怕 面对 离别

Bù bì hài pà miàn duì lí bié

剪掉 一 丝 头发 让 我 放在 胸前

Jiǎn diào yī sī tóu fǎ ràng wǒ fàng zài xiōng qián

走到 哪里 都有 你 陪 相随

Zǒu dào nǎ lǐ dōu yǒu nǐ péi xiāng suí

Yeah

La la la la

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
眷恋 /juànliàn/ B1	noun - lingering affection, reluctance to part
疲倦 /píjuàn/ B1	noun - tiredness, fatigue
简单 /jiǎn dān/ A2	adjective - simple, easy
城市 /chéng shì/ A2	noun - city
爱 /ài/ A1	noun - love verb - to love
甜蜜 /tián mì/ B1	adjective - sweet, lovely
流浪 /liú làng/ B2	noun - wandering, roaming
微笑 /wēi xiào/ A2	noun - smile
害怕 /hài pà/ A2	verb - to fear, to be afraid
纪念 /jì niàn/ B1	noun - commemoration, souvenir verb - to commemorate
头发 /tóu fǎ/ A2	noun - hair
陪伴 /péi xiāng suí/ B1	verb - to accompany
终点 /zhōng diǎn/ B1	noun - end, destination
画面 /huà miàn/ B1	noun - scene, picture
现实 /xiàn shí/ B2	noun - reality
倾心 /qīng xīn/ B2	verb - to be devoted to, to fall for

Key Grammar Structures

• 乌黑 的 发尾 盘 成 一个 圈

  ➔ Descriptive Adjective + 的 + Noun, Verb + 成

  ➔ The structure "adjective + 的 + noun" acts as a noun phrase, modified by the adjective. The verb “成” means to become, into. "乌黑 的 发尾" - black hair ends. "盘 成 一个 圈" - coil into a circle.

• 缠绕 所有 对 你 的 眷恋

  ➔ Verb + Object + 对 + Pronoun/Noun + 的 + Noun

  ➔ The structure expresses the object of a verb is related to a person or thing. "缠绕"- to entwine, "所有 对 你 的 眷恋" - all the longing for you.

• 隔 着 半 透明 门帘

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase: 隔着 + Object (location/barrier)

  ➔ "隔着" means 'across', 'through', or 'with something in between'. "半透明 门帘" - semi-transparent curtain.

• 嘴里 说 的 语言 完全 没有 欺骗

  ➔ Subject + 说 的 + Object (language), 没有 + Verb/Adjective

  ➔ This sentence structure describes an action or state of being. "嘴里 说 的 语言" - The language spoken (by the mouth). "完全 没有 欺骗" - completely without deception.

• 脑袋 都是 你 心里 都是 你

  ➔ Subject + 都是 + Object

  ➔ "都是" means 'all are', 'everything is'. This structure emphasizes that both the head and the heart are filled with the subject, which is "你" (you).

• 想 多么 简单 就 多么 简单

  ➔ Subj. + (want) + 多么 + Adj. + 就 + 多么 + Adj. (same adjective)

  ➔ This is a comparative structure, meaning "as ... as". The structure is emphasizing the simplicity that the speaker wants.

• 剪掉 一 丝 头发 让 我 放在 胸前

  ➔ Verb + Object + 让 + Person + Verb

  ➔ This is a causative structure using "让". The first part has a verb and its object, then "让" (let/make) followed by a person and a verb. "剪掉 一 丝 头发" - Cut off a strand of hair. "让 我 放在 胸前" - let me put it on my chest.