Time – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: Hikaru Utada

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the introspective world of Hikaru Utada's "Time," a song that beautifully captures the complexities of unspoken feelings and unconventional relationships. By exploring the delicate nuances in the lyrics, you'll gain insight into Japanese expressions of love and longing, all while enjoying Utada's signature blend of J-pop and R&B. Discover the story behind the song and enrich your understanding of Japanese culture.

[English]

I can't tell even my boyfriend or family

About many things

Because you listened to me

I could endure any loneliness or fate

Crying in the rain that won’t stop, I’m caught in tears

Who else but you could possibly make me smile?

Always

I couldn’t say it too close, that I love you

Holding a spell to turn back time, I go on today too

To the moment just before the kiss and a little beyond

We’ve even gone that far

But we’re not the kind of couple that fits into just a romance

(That’s what I mean, that’s what I mean)

Feeling happy yet crying because you got rejected by someone you love

That’s a happiness to be comforted, my one and only

But still

I wanted to hold you and say I love you

Holding a spell to turn back time, I go on today too

...

Always

I wanted to hear and couldn’t, my feelings

Who were you protecting with lies?

...

The missed chance has unexpectedly given me

Something big

Spilled water can’t go back into the glass, won’t go back

To the times when we first met

I want to tell you, so much better than before

We are more attractive now, more attractive

My friend

Let’s stop realizing only after losing

I’ll give you a spell to turn back time

...

If I turn back time

If I turn back time

Will you be mine?

If I turn back time

...

[Japanese]

カレシにも家族にも言えない

いろんなこと

あなたが聞いてくれたから

どんな孤独にも運命にも耐えられた

降り止まない雨に打たれて泣く私を

あなた以外の誰がいったい笑わせられるの？

いつも

近すぎて言えなかった、好きだと

時を戻す呪文を胸に今日もGo

キスとその少しだけ先まで

いったこともあったけど

恋愛なんかの枠に収まる二人じゃないのよ

（そゆことそゆことそゆこと）

大好きな人にフラれて泣くあなたを

慰められる only one である幸せよ

だけど

抱きしめて言いたかった、好きだと

時を戻す呪文を胸に今日もGo

ずっと

聞きたくて聞けなかった、気持ちを

誰を守る嘘をついていたの？

逃したチャンスが私に

与えたものは案外大きい

溢した水はグラスに返らない 返らない

出会った頃の二人に

教えてあげたくなるくらい

あの頃より私たち魅力的 魅力的

友よ

失ってから気づくのはやめよう

時を戻す呪文を君にあげよう

If I turn back time

If I turn back time

Will you be mine?

If I turn back time

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
孤独 /こどく/ B2	noun - loneliness
運命 /うんめい/ B2	noun - fate
泣く /なく/ A2	verb - to cry
好き /すき/ A1	adjective - like
チャンス /ちゃんす/ B1	noun - chance
気持ち /きもち/ B1	noun - feeling
魅力的 /みりょくてき/ B2	adjective - charming
抱きしめる /だきしめる/ B1	verb - to hug
フラれる /ふられる/ B2	verb - to be rejected (in love)
時 /とき/ A1	noun - time
戻す /もどす/ B1	verb - to return
家族 /かぞく/ A2	noun - family
言う /いう/ A1	verb - to say
打たれる /うたれる/ B2	verb - to be hit
幸せ /しあわせ/ A2	noun - happiness

Key Grammar Structures

• あなたが聞いてくれたから

  ➔ Because you listened to me

  ➔ The 【が】 particle marks the subject of the sentence, emphasizing who performed the action.

• 時を戻す呪文を胸に今日もGo

  ➔ The phrase '時を戻す' (to turn back time) uses a verb in its base form combined with an object.

  ➔ The verb 【戻す】 (to return, to revert) is in its basic form, and combined with 【時を】, meaning 'to turn back time'.

• 恋愛なんかの枠に収まる二人じゃないのよ

  ➔ The phrase '収まる' is a verb meaning 'to fit within' or 'to be contained in'.

  ➔ 【収まる】 indicates something fits or is contained within a boundary, here meaning 'not fitting into the typical categories of love'.

• 失ってから気づくのはやめよう

  ➔ The phrase '失ってから気づく' uses the causative and temporal 【てから】 (after doing).

  ➔ 【てから】 connects two actions, indicating that the second action occurs after the first. Here, it conveys 'after losing, I realize'.

• 大好きな人にフラれて泣くあなたを

  ➔ The verb 'フラれて' is the te-form of '振られる' (to be rejected), showing passive voice.

  ➔ 【振られる】 in passive voice means 'to be rejected', and the 【て】 form connects it to '泣く' (to cry).