子華說 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 古巨基, 黃子華
• Album: 香港故事

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language is not just about vocabulary and grammar; it's about understanding the culture. '子華說' is a perfect gateway to learning Cantonese through the lens of Hong Kong's unique humor and social commentary. The song is a collection of witty and relatable 'golden phrases' from the renowned stand-up comedian Dayo Wong, offering a fun and insightful way to grasp the nuances of everyday life and conversations in Hong Kong. Its catchy tune makes memorizing these iconic lines an enjoyable experience.

[English]

Hey hey hey, the world is so simple

But humans are so complicated

That's just how it is, so surprising

It's all about making a living, breaking the law if I want to

Divine salvation relies on laughter spots

To make people laugh convincingly, you need to be clever enough

What's there to be happy about in life?

Zi Hua says, Zi Hua says

Ladies and gentlemen, we're not irresponsible people

In that brief moment of our parents' happiness

We've taken responsibility for decades

Really, just go with the flow naturally

Or turn into Lin Xi at the bridge

Zipper up, another day; zipper down, another day

If no one asks you to work, just consider yourself a great artist

When you’re joking, you won't get the respect you deserve

Congratulations, you're even greater than a great artist

Even after death, no one respects you

But losing a little is like winning

Even if you lose slightly, consider it a win

Oh, if you don’t want people to know

Don’t be so stupid

Smile with low fat, but the world will laugh at you

Making people laugh is the greatest good

Whether ugly or not, know yourself

Perform as a comedy, be wise enough

I love going to work

If I’m not possessed by ghosts, how else can I explain?

Really just a cat, a dog,

An outlier who acts wild

Boss, why am I so terrible at this?

Actually, I could do worse

What I’m paid isn't wages, it’s compensation

Although a thousand-plus seems like trash

Fame is just fleeting clouds to me

But to me, those clouds are like life itself

We’re full of scars, broke and exhausted

But buffets, sometimes it's okay to indulge

Can’t cheat and expect high marks

Hey, at work, of course, look at the clock

Today, I just want a typhoon tomorrow

It's all about making a living, breaking the law if I want to

Divine salvation relies on laughter spots

To make people laugh convincingly, you need to be clever enough

Stupid jokes hit everyone’s vulnerability

Water flows, self-deprecate your foolish efforts

If humans are so easy to make laugh, I wouldn’t sell my jokes

Using humor to save all beings

Drink the bitterness until you find joy

Zi Hua says, Zi Hua says

Hey hey hey, are you still singing?

Singing love songs after a breakup

That’s like opening a window after a leak

Love — if you expect it not to be OK, then it’s OK

If you don’t like me, I hate you

If you like me, I don’t believe it

Ask, what is love in this world?

Couples pretend not to mind if they’re annoying

Before first love, Little Dragon Girl only needs to be pretty

Being pretty means no need to pretend; pretension just causes panic

Back then, it was all superficial

Now, maturity tells us that appearance is really important

A top beauty

Brings endless trouble

Makeup becomes disguise

That’s called PR

Guan Gong, the loneliest and most unfortunate

Very serious, not fun at all

No love, no worries

For dining out: pick a proper meal or a picnic

At least it offers some frustration

Love is like stocks

It rises constantly before you buy

Once you get it, it quickly slips away

Do you still dare to hold a wedding?

No fear of wasting the fish, the chicken, or even the dog

You love but can’t get it

You don’t love but can’t let go

For men, love must stay fresh

But women are most nervous about preservation

You’ve never truly loved me

Your feelings for me aren’t like before

Oh, pouring out my heart at midnight, no need for HD

Repeating ‘end of story,’ ‘end of story,’ ‘end of story’

Love, words are useless, just do it

Divine salvation relies on laughter spots

To make people laugh convincingly, you need to be clever enough

Stupid jokes hit everyone’s vulnerability

Water flows, self-deprecate your foolish efforts

If humans are so easy to make laugh, I wouldn’t sell my jokes

Using humor to save all beings

Drink the bitterness until you find joy

Zi Hua says, Zi Hua says

...

[Chinese]

喂喂喂 世界好簡單

但係人類好複雜

係咁㗎啦 好出奇啊

搵食啫 犯法呀 我想㗎

神救贖人世靠笑穴

能誘惑人笑要夠絕

人生有什麼好喜悅

子華說 子華說

喇各位我哋唔係唔負責嘅人

為咗爸爸媽媽短短一剎那嘅快樂

我哋負責咗幾十年喇

真係橋到船頭自然直呀

定係船到橋頭變林夕呀

拉拉鏈又一日 唔拉拉鏈又一日

無人搵你做嘢你咪當自己係偉大嘅藝術家囉

生勾勾嘅時候係唔會得到應有嘅尊重

我恭喜你 你仲偉大過偉大嘅藝術家

死咗都無人尊重呀

不過輸少當贏啦

係輸淨少少都當係贏

哎呀若要人不知

唔好咁低B

要笑到低脂 這世界被人笑

令人笑是頭等善事

醜不醜要自知

當做表演趣劇夠睿智

我好鍾意返工啊

你話唔係鬼上身點講得出啊

真係做隻貓做隻狗

做隻出位的馬仔

老闆點解我可以做得咁差

其實我可以做得差啲㗎

出俾你果份唔係糧係賠償

雖然話一千幾百猶如垃圾

富貴於我如浮雲

但係浮雲於我如命根

我哋滿身傷痕身無分文

之但係 buffet 不妨食過份

出貓豈容你太高分呀

哎喲返工梗係睇鐘

今日最希望係聽日打風

搵食啫犯法呀我想㗎

神救贖人世靠笑穴

能誘惑人笑要夠絕

棟篤笑大家的死穴

回水要自嘲花心血

人類若那麼易笑不必我賣笑

玩幽默去拯救這眾生

將苦水飲到喜悅

子華說 子華說

喂喂喂 你仲唱

失戀唱情歌

即係漏媒氣閂窗

愛情呢家嘢 你預咗唔 OK 你就OK

你唔中意我 我憎你

你中意我 我唔信你

問世間情為何物

情侶裝係唔怕核突

初戀之前 小龍女只需要靚

靚就唔使扮啊 扮就唔慌靚啊

嗰時真係膚淺吖嘛

喇依家個人成熟咗知道原來身材都好重要

一個頂級嘅紅顏

係會帶黎頂唔順嘅麻煩

化妝變做喬裝

呢啲就叫做公關

關公最慘好孤單

好正經不愛玩

沒情愛愁煩

AB 餐揀正餐揀野餐

至少有條件鬥煩

愛情同股票一樣

未入之前會不停咁升

一旦到手就會掉頭咁走

你仲夠膽擺酒

唔怕嘥咗條魚嘥咗隻雞嘥埋隻狗

你愛嘅你得唔到

你唔愛嘅你甩唔到

男人對愛情最緊要係新鮮

但係女人最緊張嘅就係保鮮

你從來都無愛過我

你對我已經唔係好似以前咁

唉夜半訴心聲 何需太高清

一句到尾一句到尾 一句到尾

愛 講是沒有用的 做啦

神救贖人世靠笑穴

能誘惑人笑要夠絕

棟篤笑大家的死穴

回水要自嘲花心血

人類若那麼易笑不必我賣笑

玩幽默去拯救這眾生

將苦水飲到喜悅

子華說 子華說

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
世界 (shìjiè) /ˈʃidʒɛ/ A1	noun - world
人類 (rénlèi) /ˌrɛnˈleɪ/ A2	noun - humanity, mankind
複雜 (fùzá) /fût͡sǎ/ B1	adjective - complicated, complex
笑 (xiào) /ɕi̯âʊ/ A1	verb - to laugh, smile noun - laugh, smile
人生 (rénshēng) /ˌrɛnˈʃɤŋ/ A2	noun - life
快樂 (kuàilè) /kʰwài̯lə/ A1	adjective - happy, joyful
船 (chuán) /t͡ʂʰwǎn/ A1	noun - boat, ship
藝術家 (yìshùjiā) /îʂût͡ɕia/ B1	noun - artist
尊重 (zūnzhòng) /t͡súnt͡ʂʊŋ/ B1	verb - to respect
低 (dī) /ti/ A1	adjective - low
醜 (chǒu) /t͡ʂʰoʊ/ A2	adjective - ugly
表演 (biǎoyǎn) /pjàu̯jɛ̀n/ A2	noun - performance, show verb - to perform
工作 (gōngzuò) /kʊ́ŋt͡swô/ A1	noun - work, job verb - to work
愛情 (àiqíng) /ài̯t͡ɕʰǐŋ/ A2	noun - love
新鮮 (xīnxiān) /ɕínɕi̯ɛn/ B1	adjective - fresh, new

Key Grammar Structures

• 搵食啫 犯法呀 我想㗎

  ➔ Sentence-final particles (啫, 呀, 㗎)

  ➔ These Cantonese particles add nuance and emphasis. "啫" implies 'just' or 'only', "呀" indicates surprise or confirmation-seeking, and "㗎" asserts a statement as fact or common knowledge. The usage makes the sentence sound more colloquial and expressive.

• 真係橋到船頭自然直呀 定係船到橋頭變林夕呀

  ➔ "A到B" structure implying result or transformation (橋到船頭自然直, 船到橋頭變林夕)

  ➔ The structure "A到B" (A dou B) is a common way to express that A leads to B or that A transforms into B. This structure conveys a sense of cause and effect or eventual change. Here, it is used to create a rhyming and thought-provoking couplet, questioning two different outcomes.

• 哎呀若要人不知 唔好咁低B

  ➔ Conditional clause: 若要...唔好... (If you want...don't...)

  ➔ This is a common structure for giving advice or stating a condition and its negative consequence. "若要" (yeuk yiu) means "if you want", and "唔好" (m4 hou2) means "don't". "咁低B" (gam3 dai1 bi1) translate to "so stupid"

• 出俾你果份唔係糧係賠償

  ➔ A is not B, but C: A唔係B係C (A m4 hai6 B hai6 C)

  ➔ This structure emphasizes the true nature of A by contrasting it with B and then stating what it actually is (C). It's a way to correct a misconception or highlight a different interpretation. Here, the money given isn't a salary, but compensation.

• 雖然話一千幾百猶如垃圾 富貴於我如浮雲 但係浮雲於我如命根

  ➔ Although A, but B (negative) + C (positive): 雖然 A, 但係 B, C (seoi1 jin4 waa6 A, daan6 hai6 B, C)

  ➔ This structure sets up a concession (A), a contrasting statement downplaying something (B), and then an emphasizing statement revealing its true importance (C). It shows the speaker's complex attitude towards wealth, superficially dismissing it but ultimately admitting its crucial role.

• 你愛嘅你得唔到 你唔愛嘅你甩唔到

  ➔ What you love, you can't get; what you don't love, you can't get rid of: 你A嘅你B唔到, 你唔A嘅你甩唔到

  ➔ This is a parallel structure that expresses a cynical observation about love. The pattern is "你 [verb] 嘅 你 [can't do something]". It shows the irony of how desires and aversions often lead to opposite outcomes.