Tonto – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: José José

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a captivating journey into the heartfelt world of Latin American romantic music with José José's "Tonto." This iconic ballad offers a unique opportunity to explore the nuances of Spanish, delving into expressions of profound love, self-awareness, and defiance of external judgment. Through its poetic lyrics and José José's legendary vocal delivery, you'll discover how the song beautifully conveys complex emotions, making it a special piece for language learners to appreciate the rich cultural and linguistic tapestry of Spanish-speaking music.

[English]

Fool, they call me a fool

Because I love you

Because I’m dying for you

They say you don’t love me

And that you’ve never shown me any affection

But if they only knew what I feel when you kiss me

How I cherish even the smallest of your caresses

I know you’re lying, that you don’t feel the same

That your kisses are just deceiving me

But what does it matter if I’m so happy by your side?

Fool, they call me a fool

They just laugh when they look at me

I just wish they could taste your lips

That they could enjoy just one minute of being with you

And when they feel what I feel

That being in your arms brings contentment

Then no one would dare call me a fool

...

They say you don’t love me

And that you’ve never shown me any affection

I just wish they could taste your lips

That they could enjoy just one minute of being with you

And when they feel what I feel

That being in your arms brings contentment

Then no one would dare call me a fool

(Fool)

They call me a fool

(Fool)

They say I’m a fool

(Fool)

They call me a fool

...

[Spanish]

Tonto, me llaman tonto

Porque te quiero

Porque me muero

Dicen que no me quieres

Y que cariño jamás me has dado

Mas si supieran lo que yo siento cuando me besas

Como disfruto la más pequeña de tus caricias

Sé que me mientes, que no me sientes

Que con tus besos sólo me engañas

Mas qué me importa si yo a tu lado soy tan feliz

Tonto, me llaman tonto

Sólo se ríen cuando me miran

Sólo quisiera que ellos probaran los labios tuyos

Que disfrutaran solo un minuto el estar contigo

Y cuando sientan lo que yo siento

Que entre tus brazos se está contento

Entonces nadie se atrevería a llamarme tonto

Dicen que no me quieres

Y que cariño jamás me has dado

Sólo quisiera que ellos probaran los labios tuyos

Que disfrutaran solo un minuto el estar contigo

Y cuando sientan lo que yo siento

Que entre tus brazos se está contento

Entonces nadie se atrevería a llamarme tonto

(Tonto)

Me llaman tonto

(Tonto)

Me dicen tonto

(Tonto)

Me llaman tonto

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
tonto ˈtonto A1	noun - fool, idiot adjective - foolish, unintelligent
quiero ˈkjero A1	verb - to love, to want
muero ˈmweɾo A2	verb - to die
cariño kaˈriɲo A1	noun - affection, love
besas ˈbesas A1	verb - to kiss
disfruto disˈfɾuto A2	verb - to enjoy
caricias kaˈriθjas A2	noun - caress, affectionate touch
mientes ˈmjentes A1	verb - to lie
siento ˈsjento A1	verb - to feel
engañas enˈɡaɲas A2	verb - to deceive
feliz feˈliθ A1	adjective - happy
ríen ˈrjenen A1	verb - to laugh
probaran pɾoˈβɾan B1	verb - to try
labios laˈβjos A1	noun - lips
contento konˈtento A1	adjective - content, happy

Key Grammar Structures

• Tonto, me llaman tonto

  ➔ Present tense with reflexive pronoun

  ➔ The verb 'llaman' is in the present tense and uses the reflexive pronoun 'me' to indicate the action is directed back to the subject.

• Porque te quiero

  ➔ Present tense of 'querer'

  ➔ The verb 'quiero' is the first-person singular present tense of 'querer', meaning 'to love' or 'to want'.

• Mas si supieran lo que yo siento

  ➔ Subjunctive mood after 'si'

  ➔ The verb 'supieran' is in the imperfect subjunctive, used after 'si' to express a hypothetical situation.

• Como disfruto la más pequeña de tus caricias

  ➔ Present tense with 'como' for comparison

  ➔ The verb 'disfruto' is in the present tense, and 'como' is used to introduce a comparative statement.

• Que con tus besos sólo me engañas

  ➔ Present tense with 'sólo' for emphasis

  ➔ The adverb 'sólo' is used to emphasize the exclusivity of the action 'engañas'.

• Sólo quisiera que ellos probaran

  ➔ Conditional tense with 'quisiera'

  ➔ The verb 'quisiera' is in the conditional tense, expressing a wish or desire.

• Y cuando sientan lo que yo siento

  ➔ Future tense with 'cuando'

  ➔ The conjunction 'cuando' introduces a future action dependent on a condition.

• Entonces nadie se atrevería a llamarme tonto

  ➔ Conditional perfect with 'atrevería'

  ➔ The verb 'atrevería' is in the conditional perfect, indicating a hypothetical action in the past.