we can't be friends (wait for your love) – English Lyrics

• By: Ariana Grande
• Album: Eternal Sunshine

Lyrics & Translation

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
wait /weɪt/ A1	verb - to remain inactive or in a state of expectancy
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection verb - to feel deep affection for someone
friends /frɛndz/ A1	noun - a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
pretend /prɪˈtɛnd/ B1	verb - to behave as if something is true when it is not
story /ˈstɔːri/ A1	noun - an account of imaginary or real people and events told for entertainment
die /daɪ/ A1	verb - to stop living
truth /truːθ/ B1	noun - the quality or state of being true
silence /ˈsaɪləns/ B1	noun - the state of being quiet
argue /ˈɑːrɡjuː/ B1	verb - to give reasons or cite evidence in support of an idea, action, or theory, typically with the aim of persuading others to share one's view
tongue /tʌŋ/ B1	noun - the fleshy muscular organ in the mouth
paint /peɪnt/ A2	verb - to apply paint to
daydream /ˈdeɪdriːm/ B2	noun - a series of pleasant thoughts that distract one from one's present reality
need /niːd/ A1	verb - require (something) because it is essential or very important.
hanging /ˈhæŋɪŋ/ B1	verb - to be suspended from above

Key Grammar Structures

• I DIDN’T THINK YOU’D UNDERSTAND ME

  ➔ Conditional Type 3 (mixed) – Implied Conditionals

  ➔ The contraction "'d" can mean "would" or "had". Here, in the context of "didn't think," it's likely short for "would" implying a mixed conditional. The sentence suggests "If I had thought you would understand me, I wouldn't have acted this way."

• HOW COULD YOU EVER EVEN TRY

  ➔ Modal verb "could" for expressing disbelief/questioning an action.

  ➔ The use of "could" here isn't about ability but about expressing disbelief that someone would even attempt something. The "ever" and "even" add emphasis to this disbelief.

• I DON’T WANT TO TIPTOE

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose (to + base verb)

  ➔ "To tiptoe" expresses the purpose or reason for not wanting something. It implies a desire to be direct and not cautious or secretive.

• BUT I DON’T WANNA HIDE

  ➔ Informal contraction "wanna" (want to) - common in spoken English and song lyrics.

  ➔ "Wanna" is a colloquial shortening of "want to". It's grammatically acceptable in informal contexts like songs but should be avoided in formal writing.

• JUST WANT TO LET THIS STORY DIE

  ➔ Causative "let" (to allow something to happen). "Let" + object + base form of verb.

  ➔ "Let this story die" means to allow the story to end naturally or to stop trying to keep it alive.

• AND I’LL BE ALRIGHT

  ➔ Future Simple with "will" (contracted to 'll) expressing a prediction or statement of fact.

  ➔ "I'll be alright" is a statement of confidence that the speaker will recover from the situation. It expresses a hope and a belief in future well-being.

• YOU CLING TO YOUR PAPERS AND PENS

  ➔ Present Simple tense to describe a habitual action.

  ➔ The sentence suggests that the other person regularly holds onto their writings, possibly indicating a reliance on them for comfort, security, or expression.

• KNOW THAT YOU MADE ME

  ➔ Past Simple tense: describing a completed action in the past.

  ➔ "Made me" refers to the other person's influence in shaping the speaker's identity or current state. It's implying a significant impact the other person had.

• YET I’M STILL HERE HANGING

  ➔ Use of "yet" as a conjunction to introduce a contrasting idea.

  ➔ "Yet" connects the idea that the speaker was shaped by the other person (possibly in a negative way, based on the previous line) with the contrasting fact that they are still present, "hanging on".