El Presente – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Julieta Venegas

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a fantastic way to connect with a different culture, and "El Presente" by Julieta Venegas is a perfect song to start your Spanish journey. Its clear and repetitive chorus makes it easy to sing along and learn key vocabulary about time and love. The song is special because it carries a universal and uplifting message about appreciating the now, all wrapped in a beautiful melody that will stay with you.

[English]

I know, what I say won’t be enough, oh oh oh oh oh

And what you give me will leave things unfinished, oh oh oh oh oh

Who tells us that life will give us the necessary time?

Take from me what you desire, as if only that were left

The present is all I have

The present is all there is

With you, my life, I can feel

That it's worth living

...

With the world going like this, everything’s ending for us, oh oh oh oh oh

The storm and the calm are almost the same, oh oh oh oh oh

Who tells us that life will give us the necessary time?

Take from me what you desire, as if only that were left

The present is all I have

The present is all there is

With you, my life, I can feel

That it's worth living

The present is all we have

The present is all there is

With you, my life, I can feel

That it's worth living

I know, what I say won’t be enough comfort

For losing that place we loved and destroyed

The present is all I have

The present is all there is

With you, my life, I can feel

That it's worth living

...

[Spanish]

Ya sé, lo que te diga no va a ser suficiente, ay ay ay ay ay

Y lo que tú me entregues dejará pendientes, ay ay ay ay ay

¿Quién nos dice qué, la vida, nos dará el tiempo necesario?

Toma de mí, lo que deseas, como si solo quedara

El presente es lo único que tengo

El presente es lo único que hay

Es contigo mi vida con quien puedo sentir

Que merece la pena vivir

Con el mundo como va, se nos acaba todo, ay ay ay ay ay

La tempestad y la calma casi son la misma cosa, ay ay ay ay ay

¿Quién nos dice que la vida, nos dará el tiempo necesario?

Toma de mí lo que deseas, como si solo quedara

El presente es lo único que tengo

El presente es lo único que hay

Es contigo mi vida con quien puedo sentir

Que merece la pena vivir

El presente es lo único que tenemos

El presente es lo único que hay

Es contigo mi vida con quien puedo sentir

Que merece la pena vivir

Ya sé, lo que te diga no va a ser suficiente consuelo

Por perder ese lugar, que amamos y destrozamos

El presente es lo único que tengo

El presente es lo único que hay

Es contigo mi vida con quien puedo sentir

Que merece la pena vivir

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
presente /preˈsente/ A2	noun - the current time or moment
vida /ˈvida/ A1	noun - life
sentir /senˈtir/ A2	verb - to feel
merecer /meɾeˈθeɾ/ B1	verb - to deserve
tiempo /ˈtjempo/ A2	noun - time
calma /ˈkalma/ B1	noun - calm
tempestad /tempesˈtað/ B2	noun - storm
suficiente /sufiˈθjente/ B1	adjective - sufficient
lugar /luˈɣaɾ/ A2	noun - place
deseo /deˈseo/ A2	noun - desire
cosa /ˈkosa/ A1	noun - thing
acabar /akaˈβaɾ/ A2	verb - to finish
decir /deˈθiɾ/ A1	verb - to say
dar /daɾ/ A1	verb - to give
quedar /keˈðaɾ/ A2	verb - to remain
importante /impoɾˈtante/ B1	adjective - important

Key Grammar Structures

• Ya sé, lo que te diga no va a ser suficiente.

  ➔ Future tense with 'ir a' (going to) for predictions.

  ➔ The phrase "lo que te diga" means "what I tell you" and is in the subjunctive mood, indicating uncertainty.

• El presente es lo único que tengo.

  ➔ Present tense for stating facts.

  ➔ The phrase "lo único que tengo" means "the only thing I have," emphasizing the importance of the present.

• ¿Quién nos dice qué, la vida, nos dará el tiempo necesario?

  ➔ Interrogative structure for asking questions.

  ➔ The phrase "¿Quién nos dice qué?" translates to "Who tells us what?" indicating a search for answers.

• Es contigo mi vida con quien puedo sentir.

  ➔ Use of 'con quien' to indicate relationships.

  ➔ The phrase "con quien puedo sentir" means "with whom I can feel," emphasizing emotional connection.

• La tempestad y la calma casi son la misma cosa.

  ➔ Comparative structure to show similarity.

  ➔ The phrase "casi son la misma cosa" means "are almost the same thing," highlighting contrasts.

• Por perder ese lugar, que amamos y destrozamos.

  ➔ Use of gerund for expressing actions.

  ➔ The phrase "por perder" means "for losing," indicating a reason or cause.