If I Were A Boy – English Lyrics

• By: Beyoncé
• Album: I Am... Sasha Fierce

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the soulful sounds of Beyoncé with 'If I Were A Boy.' This song is a perfect tool for English learners to practice understanding conditional structures (the 'if' clause) and expressive, emotional vocabulary used in modern pop music.

[English]

If I were a boy, even just for a day

I'd roll outta bed in the mornin'

And throw on what I wanted, then go

Drink beer with the guys

And chase after girls

...

I'd kick it with who I wanted

And I'd never get confronted for it

'Cause they'd stick up for me

If I were a boy

I think I could understand

...

How it feels to love a girl

I swear I'd be a better man

I'd listen to her

'Cause I know how it hurts

...

When you lose the one you wanted

'Cause he's taken you for granted

And everything you had got destroyed

If I were a boy

I would turn off my phone

...

Tell everyone it's broken

So they'd think that I was sleepin' alone

I'd put myself first

And make the rules as I go

...

'Cause I know that she'd be faithful

Waitin' for me to come home, to come home

If I were a boy

I think I could understand

...

How it feels to love a girl

I swear I'd be a better man

I'd listen to her

'Cause I know how it hurts

When you lose the one you wanted (wanted)

'Cause he's taken you for granted (granted)

And everything you had got destroyed

It's a little too late for you to come back

Say it's just a mistake

Think I'd forgive you like that

If you thought I would wait for you

You thought wrong

But you're just a boy

You don't understand

Yeah, you don't understand, oh

How it feels to love a girl, someday

You'll wish you were a better man

You don't listen to her

You don't care how it hurts

Until you lose the one you wanted

'Cause you've taken her for granted

And everything you have got destroyed

But you're just a boy

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
confronted /kənˈfrʌntɪd/ C1	verb - to face or meet someone in a hostile or challenging way
understand /ˌʌndərˈstænd/ A2	verb - to perceive the intended meaning of words, a language, or a person
granted /ˈɡræntɪd/ B2	adjective - taken for granted; not appreciated because it is assumed to be always available
destroyed /dɪˈstrɔɪd/ B1	verb - to damage something so badly that it cannot be used or no longer exists
faithful /ˈfeɪθf(ə)l/ B2	adjective - remaining loyal and steadfast in affection or allegiance
forgive /fərˈɡɪv/ B1	verb - to stop feeling angry or resentful toward someone for an offense or mistake
mistake /mɪˈsteɪk/ A2	noun - an action or decision that is wrong or produces an unwanted result
chase /tʃeɪs/ B1	verb - to run after someone or something in order to catch them
rules /ruːlz/ A2	noun - set of explicit or understood regulations or principles governing conduct
broken /ˈbroʊkən/ A2	adjective - damaged or no longer working

Key Grammar Structures

• If I were a boy, even just for a day

  ➔ Second Conditional (Hypothetical situations)

  ➔ Uses "were" instead of "was" to express a hypothetical situation in the present.

• I'd roll outta bed in the mornin'

  ➔ Conditional 'would' for past habits or hypothetical outcomes

  ➔ The contraction "'d" represents "would," showing the action the speaker would take in the hypothetical scenario.

• I'd never get confronted for it

  ➔ Passive Voice

  ➔ The structure "get" + past participle is a common informal way to form the passive voice.

• And everything you had got destroyed

  ➔ Relative Clause (omitted 'that')

  ➔ The phrase "you had" is a reduced relative clause modifying "everything."

• It's a little too late for you to come back

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose / Adjective + to-infinitive

  ➔ The structure "too [adjective] for [someone] to [verb]" is used to express excess.

• If you thought I would wait for you, you thought wrong

  ➔ Past tense in hypothetical / Adverbial use of adjective

  ➔ The speaker uses "wrong" as an adverbial complement to describe the manner of thinking.

• You don't care how it hurts

  ➔ Noun Clause (indirect question/embedded clause)

  ➔ "how it hurts" acts as the object of the verb "care."

• Until you lose the one you wanted

  ➔ Time Clause

  ➔ The conjunction "until" introduces a time clause that sets the condition for the following main clause.