知己 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 許廷鏗, 吳若希

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a fantastic journey, and '知己' by Alfred Hui and Jinny Ng is a beautiful starting point for diving into Cantonese. The song's theme of a profound, unspoken friendship offers a glimpse into nuanced emotional expressions in the language. Its clear, melodic vocals make it easier to follow the lyrics and pick up new vocabulary related to relationships and feelings. Exploring this song can be a special way to connect with the heart of Cantopop and the subtleties of the Cantonese language.

[English]

Lonely anytime I want to see you, no need to pick the time or place, wandering freely, holding my phone, capturing your true beauty

Debating big matters or just boring fights, sometimes going with my heart feels just right, talking about first love and end-of-the-world scenarios

With you, I rarely find such a true confidant (Wu: I rarely find someone I can truly connect with)

Together, we've never held hands but shared the sweetness of happiness

If only this moment had the company's exclusive rights

Let every curiosity be kept as a gift

Still favoring this confidant, under endless stars, you can fly as high as you like

Imagine what the weather's like on the other side

Still separated by distance

Looking from afar, everything seems more beautiful

Even with tears, I still come to see you, no need for expressions or worries, better than wasting all my energy on love and emotional pain

Knowing he once invited you out, you don't envy who you spend time with, surprises still remain in this relationship, don't let too many emotions mess you up

Still rare to find such a confidant (Wu: Still rare to find someone I can truly connect with)

Together, we've never held hands but shared the sweetness of happiness

If only this moment had the company's exclusive rights

Let every curiosity be kept as a gift

Still favoring this confidant, under endless stars, you can fly as high as you like

Imagine what the weather's like on the other side

Still separated by distance

Looking from afar, everything seems more beautiful

Still rare to find such a confidant, never holding hands but sharing happiness

If only this moment had the company's exclusive rights

Let every curiosity be kept as a gift

Still favoring this confidant

Under endless stars, let me fly as high as I can (Wu: Let you fly as high as you like under endless stars)

Imagine what the weather's like on the other side

Like a happy holiday

Building a world with you (Wu: As beautiful as love)

...

[Chinese]

吳：寂寞隨時約你 不需揀時間勝地 遊蕩時最愛 拿著手機 自在拍你真的美

許：辯論大事或無聊鬥氣 有時隨心好可擔當得起 初戀的年代講起 談到末日世紀

許：我共你難得這一個知己 (吳：我共你難得可成為知己)

合：從無拖手但有幸福滋味

許：倘若這時同伴的專利

吳：讓每份好奇 願禮物儲起

合：仍偏心這個知己 無崖星空任你自己高飛

許：想像彼岸什麼天氣

吳：還隔著距離

合：遙看就更漪美

吳：落著淚仍來見你 不須表情與顧忌 也好過花光 全部心機 談情說愛辛苦捉心理

許：自認事實他曾約你 你要共誰一起不妒忌 這相處當中存著驚喜 情緒別太多突然亂了自己

許：仍難得這一個知己 (吳：仍難得可成為知己)

合：從無拖手但有幸福滋味

許：倘若這時同伴的專利

吳：讓每份好奇 願禮物儲起

合：仍偏心這個知己 無崖星空任你自己高飛

許：想像彼岸什麼天氣

吳：還隔著距離

合：遙看就更漪美

合：仍難得這一個知己 從無拖手但有幸福滋味

許：倘若這時同伴的專利

吳：讓每份好奇 願禮物儲起

合：仍偏心這個知己

許：無崖星空讓我自己高飛 (吳：無崖星空任你自己高飛)

許：想像彼岸什麼天氣

吳：像快樂假期

許：和你設那天地 (吳：如愛情那麼美)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
寂寞 (jìmò) /t͡ɕî mô/ B1	adjective - lonely, solitary
時間 (shíjiān) /ʂɻʅ t͡ɕi̯ɛn/ A1	noun - time
勝地 (shèngdì) /ʂə̂ŋ tî/ B2	noun - scenic spot, famous tourist attraction
遊蕩 (yóudàng) /jǒʊ tâŋ/ B2	verb - to wander, to roam
手機 (shǒujī) /ʂòʊ t͡ɕi/ A1	noun - mobile phone, cell phone
自在 (zìzài) /t͡sẑ̩ tsâɪ/ B1	adjective - free, unrestrained
美 (měi) /mèi/ A1	adjective - beautiful, pretty
辯論 (biànlùn) /bjân lûn/ B2	verb - to debate, to argue
無聊 (wúliáo) /wǔ ljǎʊ/ A2	adjective - boring, senseless
初戀 (chūliàn) /t͡ʃʰú ljɛ̂n/ B1	noun - first love
年代 (niándài) /njǎn tâɪ/ A2	noun - decade, era
末日 (mòrì) /mwô zʅ/ B2	noun - doomsday, end of the world
知己 (zhījǐ) /ʈ͡ʂʅ t͡ɕǐ/ B2	noun - close friend, intimate friend
幸福 (xìngfú) /ɕîŋ fǔ/ A2	adjective - happy, blissful
滋味 (zīwèi) /tzɨ́ wêɪ/ B1	noun - flavor, taste
同伴 (tóngbàn) /tʰwóŋ pân/ A2	noun - companion, partner
專利 (zhuānlì) /ʈʂwán lî/ B2	noun - patent, monopoly
好奇 (hàoqí) /xǎʊ t͡ɕʰǐ/ B1	adjective - curious
禮物 (lǐwù) /lǐ û/ A1	noun - gift, present
星空 (xīngkōng) /ɕíŋ kʰwóŋ/ B1	noun - starry sky
快樂 (kuàilè) /kʰwâɪ lê/ A1	adjective - happy, joyful

Key Grammar Structures

• 我共你難得這一個知己

  ➔ Using the particle '的' to link noun phrases, here it emphasizes 'this one confidant'.

  ➔ '的' is a possessive or descriptive particle used to connect nouns, often to form adjectives or specify relationships.

• 從無拖手但有幸福滋味

  ➔ Using '從無' to indicate 'never' or 'not at all', expressing absence of an action.

  ➔ '從無' means 'never' or 'not at all', used to describe the absence of an action or situation.

• 願禮物儲起

  ➔ Using the verb '儲起' to indicate the act of saving or storing, with '願' expressing a wish or hope.

  ➔ '願' is a character used to express wishes or hopes, often followed by the verb indicating what is desired or intended.

• 像快樂假期

  ➔ Using '像' to make comparisons, meaning 'like' or 'similar to'.

  ➔ '像' is a preposition used to compare one thing to another, equivalent to 'like' or 'as' in English.

• 還隔著距離

  ➔ Using '還' with '隔著' to indicate 'still' or 'yet' in the sense of ongoing distance.

  ➔ '還' means 'still' or 'yet', emphasizing that an action or state continues or persists.

• 遙看就更漪美

  ➔ Using '就' to denote 'then' or 'so', connecting cause and effect or sequence.

  ➔ '就' is a conjunction that indicates result or sequence, often translating as 'then' or 'so'.