What Makes You Beautiful – English Lyrics

• By: One Direction

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the catchy world of One Direction's 'What Makes You Beautiful,' a global pop anthem that beautifully expresses admiration and self-love. Through its simple yet profound lyrics, you can explore common English phrases for compliments, emotional expression, and encouragement. Its clear pronunciation and relatable themes make it an excellent song for English language learners to grasp everyday conversational English and feel-good vocabulary.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
beautiful /ˈbjuːtɪfl/ A2	adjective - pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically
insecure /ˌɪnsɪˈkjʊər/ B2	adjective - not confident or assured; uncertain about oneself
heads /hedz/ A1	noun - the part of the body above the neck where the brain, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth are
walk /wɔːk/ A1	verb - to move at a regular pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn
door /dɔːr/ A1	noun - a hinged, sliding, or revolving barrier at the entrance to a building, room, or vehicle
makeup /ˈmeɪkʌp/ A2	noun - cosmetics such as lipstick or powder applied to the face, used to enhance or alter the appearance
cover /ˈkʌvər/ B1	verb - place something over or in front of (something) so as to conceal or protect it
room /ruːm/ A1	noun - a space within a building that is separated from other spaces by walls
light /laɪt/ A1	verb - to give light to something
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries, peoples, and natural features
hair /her/ A1	noun - any of the fine threadlike strands growing from the skin of humans, mammals, and other animals
smile /smaɪl/ A1	verb - form one's features into a pleased, kind, or amused expression, typically with the corners of the mouth turned up and the front teeth exposed
ground /ɡraʊnd/ A1	noun - the solid surface of the earth
shy /ʃaɪ/ A2	adjective - being reserved or having or showing nervousness or timidity in the company of other people
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - each of a pair of globular organs in the head through which people and vertebrate animals see
believe /bɪˈliːv/ A1	verb - accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of

Key Grammar Structures

• You're insecure, don't know what for

  ➔ Indirect Question/Question Word + 'for'

  ➔ The phrase "what for" is used informally to ask "why?". In a more formal construction, it would be 'You don't know what you're insecure *for*'. The 'for' is a preposition stranded at the end. This can happen a lot in informal speech, question words and relative clauses.

• Being the way that you are is enough

  ➔ Gerund Phrase as Subject/Relative Clause ('that')

  ➔ "Being the way that you are" functions as the subject of the sentence. 'Being' is a gerund. "That you are" is a relative clause modifying 'way'.

• Baby, you light up my world like nobody else

  ➔ Simile/Comparison using 'like'

  ➔ This line uses a simile to compare how the subject lights up the speaker's world to how nobody else does. "Like" introduces the comparison.

• The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed

  ➔ Noun Clause as Subject / Causative Verb ('gets me overwhelmed')

  ➔ "The way that you flip your hair" is a noun clause acting as the subject of the sentence. "Gets me overwhelmed" uses "get" in a causative sense, meaning 'causes me to be overwhelmed'.

• If only you saw what I can see

  ➔ Third Conditional (Implied)/'If Only' for Wishes

  ➔ This line expresses a wish or regret. While not a full third conditional, it implies the unreal situation. The implied "then" clause is 'you would understand'. "If only" introduces a wish about a past or present situation that is contrary to fact.

• You'll understand why I want you so desperately

  ➔ Future Tense/Indirect Question

  ➔ "You'll understand" uses the future simple tense. "Why I want you so desperately" is an indirect question, functioning as the object of 'understand'.

• Right now I'm lookin' at you, and I can't believe

  ➔ Present Continuous (Informal)/Modal Verb ('can't believe')

  ➔ "I'm lookin'" is an informal contraction of "I am looking", using the present continuous tense. "Can't believe" expresses a lack of ability to believe, using the modal verb 'can'.

• So come on, you got it wrong

  ➔ Imperative/Past Simple

  ➔ "Come on" is an imperative, used to encourage or urge someone. "You got it wrong" is in the past simple, indicating that someone had a mistaken impression.