Garota de Ipanema – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

• By: João Gilberto, Caetano Veloso
• Album: 40 Anos de Bossa Nova

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in the captivating rhythm and melancholic beauty of "Garota de Ipanema." This iconic Brazilian Bossa Nova song, inspired by a real person and brought to life by legendary artists, offers a window into a specific cultural moment and the universal emotions of admiration and longing. Learning about this song provides insight into the rich history of Brazilian music and its global influence.

[English]

Look, what a beautiful thing

More full of grace

It's her, girl

Who comes and goes

In a gentle sway

On the way to the sea

Girl with golden body

From the sun of Ipanema

Her sway

Is more than a poem

It's the most beautiful thing

That I've ever seen pass by

Ah! Why am I so lonely

Ah! Why is everything so sad

Ah! porque tudo é tão triste

Ah! The beauty that exists

The beauty that's not only mine

That also passes alone

Ah! If she only knew

That when she walks by

The world, smiling

Fills with grace

And becomes more beautiful

Tall and tan and young and lovely

The girl from Ipanema starts walking

And when she passes, everyone notices

Goes "A-a-a-h"

When she walks, she's like a samba

When she walks, she's like a samba

That swings so cool and sways so gently

That when she passes, everyone notices

Goes "A-a-a-h"

Oh, but I watch her so sadly

How can I tell her I love her

Yes, I would give my heart gladly

But each day as she walks to the sea

She looks straight ahead, not at me

Tall and tan and young and lovely

The girl from Ipanema walks by

And when she passes, I smile, but she

Doesn't see. She just doesn't see

No, she just doesn't

...

[Portuguese]

TOM JOBIM

Olha que coisa mais linda

Mais cheia de graça

É ela menina

Que vem e que passa

Num doce balanço

Caminho do mar

Moça do corpo dourado

Do sol de Ipanema

O seu balançado

É mais que um poema

É a coisa mais linda

Que eu já vi passar

Ah! porque estou tão sozinho

Ah! porque tudo é tão triste

Ah! a beleza que existe

A beleza que não é só minha

Que também passa sozinha

Ah! Se ela soubesse

Que quando ela passa

O mundo sorrindo

Se enche de graça

E fica mais lindo

Tall and tan and young and lovely

The girl from Ipanema goes walking

And when she passes, each one she passes

Goes "A-a-a-h"

When she walks she's like a samba

When she walks, she's like a samba

That swings so cool and sways so gentle

That when she passes, each one she passes

Goes "A-a-a-h"

Oh, but I watch her so sadly

How can I tell her I love her

Yes, I would give my heart gladly

But each day as she walks to the sea

She looks straight ahead, not at me

Tall and tan and young and lovely

The girl from Ipanema goes walking

And when she passes, I smile, but she

Doesn't see. She just doesn't see

No, she just doesn't

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
coisa /ˈkoizɐ/ A1	noun - thing
linda /ˈlĩdɐ/ A2	adjective - beautiful
menina /meˈnĩnɐ/ A1	noun - girl
mar /maʁ/ A1	noun - sea
sol /sɔl/ A1	noun - sun
passar /paˈsaʁ/ A2	verb - to pass
sorrindo /soˈʁĩdu/ B1	verb - smiling
balanço /baˈlɐ̃su/ B2	noun - sway
belezas /beˈlezɐs/ B2	noun - beauties
caminho /kaˈmiɲu/ A2	noun - path
samba /ˈsɐ̃bɐ/ B1	noun - a Brazilian dance
sozinha /soˈziɲɐ/ B1	adjective - alone
triste /ˈtɾiʃtʃi/ A2	adjective - sad
coração /koɾaˈsɐ̃w/ B2	noun - heart
jovem /ˈʒɔvẽ/ B1	adjective - young

Key Grammar Structures

• Olha que coisa mais linda

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The phrase "Olha" is an imperative form, used to give a command or request attention.

• Ah! porque estou tão sozinho

  ➔ Present continuous tense

  ➔ The phrase "estou" indicates the present continuous tense, expressing a current state of being.

• A beleza que não é só minha

  ➔ Relative clause

  ➔ The phrase "que não é só minha" is a relative clause that provides additional information about "a beleza."

• Tall and tan and young and lovely

  ➔ Adjective phrases

  ➔ The phrase consists of multiple adjectives describing the subject, creating a vivid image.

• How can I tell her I love her

  ➔ Interrogative structure

  ➔ The phrase is structured as a question, indicating uncertainty or a desire for information.

• She looks straight ahead, not at me

  ➔ Adverbial phrase

  ➔ The phrase "straight ahead" is an adverbial phrase that describes the direction of her gaze.

• The world smiling

  ➔ Present participle

  ➔ The word "smiling" is a present participle used to describe the state of the world in a poetic manner.