做自己的光，不需要太亮 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: Hạo Nhiên HLR, Thiện Vũ

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the Mandarin Chinese language with "做自己的光，不需要太亮," a deeply moving song about self-acceptance and resilience. By studying the lyrics, you can learn phrases centered around personal growth, overcoming challenges, and complex emotional vocabulary used in contemporary Chinese ballads. Its clear, poetic language offers excellent practice for understanding meaningful expressions beyond simple conversation.

[English]

The crying tree hasn't even sprouted yet, and it's forced to bloom.

Mom says to be happy, but she didn't tell me how.

Growing up has taught me that failure isn't something to fear.

The scary thing is that you still believe this line.

People only look at the result, not the process.

People like to decide life by percentages.

Who would want to live an ordinary, plain life?

In your hands there are only ordinary scripts.

The crying tree hasn't even sprouted yet, and it's forced to bloom.

Mom says to be happy, but she didn't tell me how.

Growing up has taught me that failure isn't something to fear.

The scary thing is that you still believe this line.

Be your own light; you don't have to shine too bright.

Who says you need wind to fly?

On the lonely road, you still have a long way to go.

The two characters for growth don't have any flourish to begin with.

Be your own light.

People only look at the result, not the process.

People like to decide life by percentages.

Who would want to live an ordinary, plain life?

In your hands there are only ordinary scripts.

The crying tree hasn't even sprouted yet, and it's forced to bloom.

Mom says to be happy, but she didn't tell me how.

Growing up has taught me that failure isn't something to fear.

The scary thing is that you still believe this line.

Be your own light; you don't have to shine too bright.

Who says you need wind to fly?

On the lonely road, you still have a long way to go.

The two characters for growth were never meant to have any flourish.

Be your own light.

Be your own light; you don't have to shine too bright.

Who says you need wind to fly?

On the lonely road, you still have a long way to go.

The two characters for growth were never meant to have any flourish.

Be your own light.

[Chinese]

kū shù hái méi fāyá jiù bèi bīzhe yāo kāihuā

māmā shuō yào kuàilè què méi gàosù wǒ fāngfǎ

chéngzhǎng tā jiàohuì wǒ shībài qíshí bù kěpà

kěpà de shì nǐ hái xiāngxìn zhè jù huà

rénmen dōu zhǐ kàn jiéguǒ bù kàn guòchéng

xǐhuān yòng fēnshù juédìng rénshēng

shéi yòu xiǎng pǔtōng píngfán deguò yīshēng

kě shǒu lǐ zhǐyǒu pǔtōng jùběn

kū shù hái méi fāyá jiù bèi bīzhe yāo kāihuā

māmā shuō yào kuàilè què méi gàosù wǒ fāngfǎ

chéngzhǎng tā jiàohuì wǒ shībài qíshí bù kěpà

kěpà de shì nǐ hái xiāngxìn zhè jù huà

zuò zìjǐ de guāng bù xūyào tài liàng

shéi shuō yào nìzhe fēng cái suàn fēixiáng

gūdú de lùshàng hái yào zǒu hěn zhǎng

chéng zhǎng èr zì běnlái jiù méiyǒu piānpáng

zuò zìjǐ de guāng

rénmen dōu zhǐ kàn jiéguǒ bù kàn guòchéng

xǐhuān yòng fēnshù juédìng rénshēng

shéi yòu xiǎng pǔtōng píngfán deguò yīshēng

kě shǒu lǐ zhǐyǒu pǔtōng jùběn

kū shù hái méi fāyá jiù bèi bīzhe yāo kāihuā

māmā shuō yào kuàilè què méi gàosù wǒ fāngfǎ

chéngzhǎng tā jiàohuì wǒ shībài qíshí bù kěpà

kěpà de shì nǐ hái xiāngxìn zhè jù huà

zuò zìjǐ de guāng bù xūyào tài liàng

shéi shuō yào nìzhe fēng cái suàn fēixiáng

gūdú de lùshàng hái yào zǒu hěn zhǎng

chéng zhǎng èr zì běnlái jiù méiyǒu piānpáng

zuò zìjǐ de guāng

zuò zìjǐ de guāng bù xūyào tài liàng

shéi shuō yào nìzhe fēng cái suàn fēixiáng

gūdú de lùshàng hái yào zǒu hěn zhǎng

chéng zhǎng èr zì běnlái jiù méiyǒu piānpáng

zuò zìjǐ de guāng

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
光 (guāng) /ɡwɑŋ/ A2	noun - light
亮 (liàng) /lɪɑŋ/ B1	adjective - bright
哭 (kū) /kʰu/ A2	verb - to cry
树 (shù) /ʃu/ A1	noun - tree
花 (huā) /xwä/ A1	noun - flower verb - to spend (money, time)
快乐 (kuàilè) /kʰwaɪlə/ A2	adjective - happy
方法 (fāngfǎ) /fɑŋfɑ/ A2	noun - method
成长 (chéngzhǎng) /tʃʰɤŋtʃɑŋ/ B1	verb - to grow up noun - growth
失败 (shībài) /ʃɨpaɪ/ B1	noun - failure verb - to fail
可怕 (kěpà) /kʰɤpʰa/ B1	adjective - scary
结果 (jiéguǒ) /tɕjɛ̌kwɔ/ B1	noun - result
过程 (guòchéng) /kwɤtʃʰɤŋ/ B1	noun - process
分数 (fēnshù) /fənʃu/ B1	noun - score
人生 (rénshēng) /ʐənʃɤŋ/ B1	noun - life
普通 (pǔtōng) /pʰutʰɔŋ/ A2	adjective - ordinary
平凡 (píngfán) /pʰiŋfɑn/ B1	adjective - commonplace; mediocre
孤独 (gūdú) /kudʊ/ B2	adjective - lonely
飞翔 (fēixiáng) /feɪɕiɑŋ/ B2	verb - to fly

Key Grammar Structures

• kū shù hái méi fāyá jiù bèi bīzhe yāo kāihuā

  ➔ Passive voice with 被 (bèi)

  ➔ The passive voice is used here with "bèi" to indicate that the tree is being forced to bloom before budding, emphasizing an action done to the subject.

• māmā shuō yào kuàilè què méi gàosù wǒ fāngfǎ

  ➔ Contrastive conjunction 却 (què)

  ➔ The word "què" creates a contrast between what the mother said (to be happy) and the fact that "méi gàosù" she didn't tell the method.

• chéngzhǎng tā jiàohuì wǒ shībài qíshí bù kěpà

  ➔ Adverb introducing contrast 其实 (qíshí)

  ➔ "Qíshí" introduces the true point: failure taught by growth "qíshí" actually isn't scary.

• kěpà de shì nǐ hái xiāngxìn zhè jù huà

  ➔ Nominalization with 的 (de)

  ➔ The structure "kěpà de shì" nominalizes the fear as "the thing about" fear, where the scary thing "kěpà de shì" is that you still believe this sentence.

• rénmen dōu zhǐ kàn jiéguǒ bù kàn guòchéng

  ➔ Exclusive structure 只...不 (zhǐ... bú)

  ➔ This structure means "only... not..." People "zhǐ "kàn" jiéguǒ" bù "kàn" guòchéng"; they only look at the result, not the process.

• xǐhuān yòng fēnshù juédìng rénshēng

  ➔ Instrumental 用 (yòng) + verb structure

  ➔ "Yòng" introduces the means: like to "yòng" fēnshù determine life, using scores to decide life.

• shéi yòu xiǎng pǔtōng píngfán deguò yīshēng

  ➔ Adverb of repetition 又 (yòu)

  ➔ "Yòu" emphasizes repetition or addition: "shéi" yòu wants to live an ordinary life? (implying no one else does either).

• kě shǒu lǐ zhǐyǒu pǔtōng jùběn

  ➔ Contrastive conjunction 可 (kě)

  ➔ "Kě" introduces contrast: "kě" in hand only ordinary props, but (implying contrast with previous expectations).

• zuò zìjǐ de guāng bù xūyào tài liàng

  ➔ Negation of necessity 不需要 (bù xūyào)

  ➔ "Bù xūyào" expresses lack of need: be your own light "bù" needs "xūyào" too bright, meaning it doesn't need to be too bright.

• chéng zhǎng èr zì běnlái jiù méiyǒu piānpáng

  ➔ Adverbial phrase 本来就 (běnlái jiù)

  ➔ "Běnlái jiù" emphasizes inherent state: the word "zhǎng" "běnlái jiù" has no shortcuts, meaning originally there are no shortcuts.