張氏情歌 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 陳奕迅

Lyrics & Translation

For those looking to immerse themselves in the nuances of Cantonese, "張氏情歌" offers a unique and emotionally charged experience. Its clever lyrical craftsmanship, particularly the multi-layered use of the character "張" (Cheung) and its homophones, provides a rich lesson in Cantonese wordplay and cultural context. Through Eason Chan's raw and deeply expressive vocal performance, listeners can grasp the profound sadness and universal themes of lost love, making it a compelling piece to explore the emotional depth of the language.

[English]

Your name is Cheung Lai Ling

My name is Cheung Tsz Ming

One day, you discovered me

At first, like siblings

We went through the process of falling in love

Resolving our conflicting personalities

Hoping we could stay together

But who knew we'd part ways

Looking far, who is your heart leaning towards?

Is it Cheung Tsz Chung?

Is it Cheung Tsz Tak?

Is it Cheung Tsz Ko?

Or maybe surnames like Cheung, Cheung, or Ou Yang?

Cheung this, Cheung that

Are you also happy now?

Quickly, open your arms, open your legs

Choose a wedding card, sign a paper, get married

...

I will marry Cheung Lai Ling

You will marry Cheung Tsz Ming

One day, I hoped for...

Young and thinking too much

Went through the journey of marriage

Celebrating the new life

Holding that little hand

Lively and spirited

Male or female, also called Cheung Baby

Is it Cheung Tsz Hin?

Is it Cheung Tsz Kong?

Is it Cheung Tsz Tim?

Or surnames like Ko, So, or Si To?

The guests are arriving soon

You also want to share your feelings

Quickly, announce it, proclaim it

Sign the marriage contract, stay together forever

...

Is it a new acquaintance?

Or an old lover?

Do you want me to stop believing in love?

Hoping the surname Cheung will blossom and bear fruit

...

[Chinese]

你叫張子玲

我叫張子銘

曾在某天你發現我

如兄妹的最初

度過相戀過程

化解相剋個性

期望會廝守

誰料分手

遙望你為誰心傾

是那張子忠嗎

是那張子德嗎

是那張子高嗎

或姓章姓蔣姓歐陽

張這張那

你也將開心嗎

你快張開手嘛張開腿嘛

往哪張台簽哪張紙出嫁

我娶張子玲

你嫁張子銘

曾在某天我盼望過

年輕想得太多

度過婚姻旅程

為那出生作慶

懷內那小手

靈活抖擻

男或女亦叫張嬰

是那張子謙嗎

是那張子江嗎

是那張子單嗎

或姓高姓蘇姓司徒

貴賓將到

你也將心傾訴

你快將之公佈將之宣告

往那張台簽那張紙終老

是個新相識嗎

是個老相好嗎

要我將心息嗎

望姓張開花結果

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
發現 (fāxiàn) /fá.ɕi̯ên/ B1	verb - to discover, to find
相戀 (xiāngliàn) /ɕi̯áŋ.li̯ɛ̂n/ B2	verb - to be in love
相剋 (xiāngkè) /ɕi̯áŋ.kʰɤ̂/ C1	adjective - mutually inhibiting, conflicting
期望 (qīwàng) /t͡ɕʰí.wâŋ/ B2	verb - to expect, to anticipate
分手 (fēnshǒu) /fɤ́n.ʂòu̯/ A2	verb - to break up, to part ways
心傾 (xīnqīng) /ɕín.t͡ɕʰíŋ/ C1	verb - to be attracted to, to admire
開心 (kāixīn) /kʰái.ɕín/ A2	adjective - happy, joyful
張開 (zhāngkāi) /t͡ʂáŋ.kʰái/ B1	verb - to open, to spread
出嫁 (chūjià) /t͡ʂʰú.t͡ɕi̯â/ B2	verb - to get married (of a woman)
盼望 (pànwàng) /pʰân.wâŋ/ B2	verb - to hope for, to long for
婚姻 (hūnyīn) /xún.ín/ B1	noun - marriage
出生 (chūshēng) /t͡ʂʰú.ʂɤ́ŋ/ A2	verb - to be born
靈活 (línghuó) /lǐŋ.xu̯ɔ̌/ B1	adjective - nimble, agile, flexible
終老 (zhōnglǎo) /t͡ʂʊ́ŋ.làu̯/ C1	verb - to spend one's remaining years; to live out one's life
相好 (xiānghǎo) /ɕi̯áŋ.xàu̯/ C1	noun - lover, intimate friend

Key Grammar Structures

• 你叫張子玲

  ➔ The use of the verb '叫' (to be called) as a way to state someone's name

  ➔ '叫' is a verb meaning 'to be called' or 'to call oneself', indicating someone's name

• 曾在某天你發現我

  ➔ Using '曾在...' to indicate an event that happened in the past

  ➔ '曾在' is used as an auxiliary to indicate a past experience or event

• 化解相剋個性

  ➔ Using the verb '化解' (to resolve) with a direct object, indicating resolving conflicts or personalities

  ➔ '化解' is a verb meaning to resolve, dissipate, or de-escalate conflicts or differences

• 誰料分手

  ➔ Using '誰料' (who would have thought) to express surprise or an unexpected outcome

  ➔ '誰料' is a phrase meaning 'who would have thought' or 'unexpectedly'

• 是那張子高嗎

  ➔ Using '嗎' (question particle) at the end of a sentence to form yes/no questions

  ➔ '嗎' is a question particle placed at the end of a sentence to turn statements into yes/no questions

• 往哪張台簽哪張紙出嫁

  ➔ Using '往...簽...' to express going to sign or endorse documents at a certain place

  ➔ '往...簽...' indicates going to a specific place to sign or endorse documents