The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)

• By: Michael Bublé
• Album: Christmas (Deluxe Special Edition)

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
chestnuts /ˈtʃes.nʌts/ B1	noun - smooth brown nuts that can be eaten
roasting /ˈroʊ.stɪŋ/ B1	verb - cooking food by dry heat in an oven or over a fire
fire /ˈfaɪər/ A1	noun - the state of burning that produces heat and light
frost /frɒst/ B1	noun - a thin, white layer of ice that forms when it is very cold
nipping /ˈnɪpɪŋ/ B2	verb - to bite or squeeze (something) sharply
carols /ˈkærəlz/ B1	noun - religious folk songs or popular hymns, particularly associated with Christmas
sung /sʌŋ/ A2	verb - past participle of sing
choir /ˈkwaɪər/ B1	noun - a group of people who sing together
dressed /drest/ A2	verb - to put clothes on
mistletoe /ˈmɪsəltoʊ/ B2	noun - a plant with white berries, traditionally used as a Christmas decoration
season /ˈsiː.zən/ A2	noun - one of the four periods of the year: spring, summer, autumn, and winter
bright /braɪt/ B2	adjective - giving out or reflecting a lot of light; shining
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - the organs of sight
aglow /əˈɡloʊ/ C1	adjective - glowing; radiant.
sleep /sliːp/ A1	verb - to rest with your eyes closed
toys /tɔɪz/ A1	noun - an object for children to play with
sleigh /sleɪ/ B1	noun - a vehicle mounted on runners for use in winter on snow or ice
reindeer /ˈreɪn.dɪər/ B1	noun - a deer with large antlers, native to Arctic regions.
fly /flaɪ/ A1	verb - to move through the air using wings
merry /ˈmeri/ B1	adjective - cheerful and lively

Grammar:

• Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

  ➔ Present participle as adjective ('roasting')

  ➔ The word "roasting" is a present participle used as an adjective, modifying the noun "chestnuts". It describes the action that the chestnuts are undergoing. This is more concise than saying "Chestnuts that are roasting...".

• Jack Frost nipping at your nose

  ➔ Present participle ('nipping') in reduced relative clause or adverbial modifier.

  ➔ "Nipping" acts as a description of what Jack Frost is doing. It implies Jack Frost is "who is nipping at your nose", a shortened relative clause.

• Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe

  ➔ Subject-verb agreement ('everybody knows')

  ➔ "Everybody" is a singular indefinite pronoun and therefore takes the singular verb form "knows".

• Will help to make the season bright

  ➔ Future tense ('will help') with infinitive of purpose ('to make')

  ➔ "Will help" expresses a future action. "To make" expresses the purpose of the helping, explaining why they will help.

• Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow

  ➔ Prepositional phrase ('with their eyes all aglow') modifying 'tiny tots'

  ➔ The prepositional phrase "with their eyes all aglow" describes the condition of the "tiny tots". It adds descriptive detail to the subject.

• Will find it hard to sleep tonight

  ➔ Future tense ('will find') with an 'it' as a placeholder subject and an infinitive phrase ('to sleep') as the real subject.

  ➔ Using "it" as a placeholder allows for a more natural sentence structure, especially when the subject is a longer infinitive phrase. Instead of saying "To sleep tonight will be hard for them", the sentence is rearranged to use "it".

• They know that Santa's on his way

  ➔ Contraction ('Santa's') and ellipsis of 'is' (Santa is on his way --> Santa's on his way)

  ➔ The contraction 'Santa's' is a common way to shorten "Santa is", making the sentence more conversational and informal.

• To see if reindeer really know how to fly

  ➔ Indirect question ('if reindeer really know how to fly')

  ➔ This is an indirect question because it's embedded within a larger statement ("To see"). The word order is the same as a statement, not a direct question. Compare to "Do reindeer really know how to fly?" (direct question).

• Although it's been said many times, many ways

  ➔ Present perfect passive ('it's been said') in an adverbial clause ('Although...')

  ➔ The present perfect passive "it's been said" indicates an action that happened at an unspecified time in the past and continues to be relevant. The adverbial clause "Although..." introduces a contrasting idea.