一個女人和浴室 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 謝安琪

Lyrics & Translation

Learning Cantonese with '一個女人和浴室' offers a unique opportunity to delve into the nuances of storytelling through music. The song's narrative lyrics, penned by the masterful Wyman Wong, are rich with everyday vocabulary and expressions related to personal routines and feelings, making it a great tool for understanding modern spoken Cantonese. What makes this song special is its role in a larger, intricate story, allowing learners to not only appreciate the language but also to engage with a compelling piece of musical drama from the Hong Kong music scene.

[English]

Look closely at the steam mirror just wiped dry

Wandering in circles, finally gaining the freedom of life appearing before my eyes

My face masked, sipping on some gin while binge-watching Korean dramas

Lavender, the purple aroma, kept burning for a long time

No need to care, he doesn’t like Florence’s scent, it’s too sweet

Next time, during the holiday, I can quietly visit that place for an afternoon feast at the tower

Being single again is just daily chores, no longer together

No one to let me store a piece of apple pie

Like two people with a promise still hanging

Leaving my wife

No longer understanding or tolerating each other, stuck in restriction all day

The world feels so small

Hand over the diamond ring so I can reclaim my life

Let me go alone, accompanied by a hundred creams

Let me dream alone or shower, no one sharing with me

The lotus spring nurtures me

Long ago I looked forward to peaceful nights without a partner destroying the calm

In this space, love’s contradictions echo loudly

Getting free from him felt like liberation, why hurt myself when I’m single

Being with someone still feels sad

Yearning for solitude, why do I want to start over now

...

One day I won’t want to cook, no need to cook, just boil some okra

Usually, it’s like doing taxes or doing laundry

Being independent is even more beautiful

Once shared a razor romantically, squeezing out a few meters together

Many seasons, watching the sunrise from the horizon beside the fallen stone

Let me go alone, accompanied by a hundred creams

Let me dream alone or shower, no one sharing with me

The lotus spring nurtures me

Long ago I looked forward to peaceful nights without a partner destroying the calm

In this space, love’s contradictions echo loudly

Getting free from him felt like liberation, why hurt myself when I’m single

We broke up, said it was nothing

Next time, I feel sad again

Lost my way early

Midnight, removing makeup alone in the bathroom

Thinking about skincare again

Once I was tense, this face was tight

Turns out loneliness isn’t why it seems so melancholy

It’s pretending to be happy, a bit forced

The window at the head of the bed always sees the moon, asking who’s willing to share

Knowing love is bittersweet

If I sincerely ask myself now

Being with someone, I also don’t want to fear loneliness

Why am I thinking now

And who I live with remains the same

...

...

[Chinese]

睇清楚 剛拭乾的 蒸氣鏡面

兜兜轉 終得到的 自由人生 乍現眼前

用面膜 敷好的臉 喝點Gin 和韓劇在過電

薰衣草 紫色香薰 點了半天

不必管 他不喜歡 佛羅倫斯 氣味太甜

我下次 連休終可 輕盈地 到訪那邊 城樓下午饍

再單身 不外就是 生活雜務 再不一齊

無人讓我 儲半件 蘋果批

像二人 還有約誓

離任髮妻

再不因 體諒互讓 終日受盡 管制

世界都不細

交出鑽戒 讓我贖回 我的一世

由我 一個去伴著 一百枝乳霜

由我 一個發夢或淋浴 沒人在同享

蓮蓬在給我 滋養

舊日我那樣期待 沒伴侶破壞寧靜的 晚上

身處空間 太空濶 愛的矛盾 又迴響

從離開他 得到解脫 落了單 為何自傷

一個 跟 一起 亦覺悲傷

渴望孤獨 為何我 這刻會想 重頭覓對象

哪一天 不願做飯 不用做飯 燙些秋葵

平常就似 報稅或 拿乾洗

自立時 還更美麗

曾共某把 剃鬚刀 很浪漫地 擠著共用幾米

有過好幾季 朝朝播放 是殞石旁 的天際

由我 一個去伴著 一百枝乳霜

由我 一個發夢或淋浴 沒人在同享

蓮蓬在給我 滋養

舊日我那樣期待 沒伴侶破壞寧靜的 晚上

身處空間 太空濶 愛的矛盾 又迴響

從離開他 得到解脫 落了單 為何自傷

分了 這天說 沒有影響

改天我 又覺悲傷

早失 方向

午夜卸妝 獨佔 梳洗間

想起已要保養

曾是繃緊的這面相

原來非因 孤單 顯得淒涼

而是裝快樂 有點牽強

牀頭那扇窗 總看見月亮 問誰願同享

明瞭相戀 悲喜參半

若這刻 誠實問心

一個 跟一起 亦也不想

畏懼孤獨

奈何我這刻會想

和誰住 仍是那樣

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
蒸氣 /zhēngqì/ B2	noun - steam
鏡面 /jìngmiàn/ B2	noun - mirror surface
自由 /zìyóu/ A2	noun - freedom
人生 /rénshēng/ B1	noun - life
面膜 /miànmó/ B1	noun - facial mask
臉 /liǎn/ A1	noun - face
香薰 /xiāngxūn/ B2	noun - aroma diffuser or scent
氣味 /qìwèi/ B1	noun - smell
甜 /tián/ A2	adjective - sweet
幸福 /xìngfú/ B2	noun - happiness
期待 /qīdài/ B1	verb/noun - to look forward to / expectation
渴望 /kěwàng/ B2	verb - to long for / crave
孤獨 /gūdú/ B2	noun - loneliness
解脫 /jiětuō/ C1	noun - liberation / relief

Key Grammar Structures

• 由我 一個去伴著 一百枝乳霜

  ➔ The structure '由我' + verb phrase indicates 'by me' or 'done by me'.

  ➔ This structure emphasizes the agent performing the action, similar to passive or causative forms.

• 再不一齊

  ➔ Repetition with '再不' suggests 'again not' or 'no longer'.

  ➔ Expresses a sense of finally stopping or not doing something anymore.

• 想起已要保養

  ➔ The phrase '想起' + verb indicates 'to think of' or 'to remember' doing something.

  ➔ Used to express recalling or thinking about doing something.

• 身處空間 太空濶

  ➔ The phrase '身處' + noun indicates 'being in' or 'situated in' a space or environment.

  ➔ Expresses being present or located within a certain space or environment.

• 問誰願同享

  ➔ The verb '願' + verb indicates 'willing to' or 'desire to' do something.

  ➔ Used to express a desire or willingness to perform the action indicated by the verb.

• 早失 方向

  ➔ The phrase '早失' + noun suggests 'early lost' or 'loss of', often implying a loss of direction or purpose.

  ➔ Expresses having lost direction or purpose at an early stage.

• 再單身 不外就是 生活雜務

  ➔ The phrase '不外就是' indicates 'nothing but' or 'simply'.

  ➔ Used to emphasize that something is nothing more than a particular thing.