Learning Chinese with Songs - 小酒窝(Cute Dimples)
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There are many good reasons to listen to Chinese popular songs. You can improve pronunciation, learn Chinese vocabulary, develop grammar structure and beautiful expressions in Chinese, and learn more about Chinese culture, which is fun!
In this article, we are going to listen to a sweet love song 小酒窝(xiǎo jiǔ wō) by 林俊杰(lín2 jùn jié) and 蔡卓妍(cài zhuó yán). This song is chosen for its simple lyrics.
Step 1: Check out their music video.
No matter how much you can understand the lyrics, all you need to do is to feel the song with your heart, especially the lyrics, all by yourself before I start to explain it. You are encouraged to repeat this step for more than once!
We apologize but our original link to this video has been terminated by youtube...
Step 2: Get to know the song
A. An Overview on the Lyrics
我还在寻找 一个依靠和一个拥抱
I have always been seeking for someone to rely on and a hug
谁替我祈祷 替我烦恼
Who will pray for me? Who will worried about me?
为我生气为我闹
Who will be mad at me? Who will lose his/her temper for me?
幸福开始有预兆
Happiness is now coming my way
缘分让我们慢慢紧靠
Fate has led me to you
然后孤单被吞没了
Loneliness has been driven away
无聊变得有话聊 有变化了
Boredom left after I met you
小酒窝 长睫毛 是你最美的记号
Little dimples, long eyelashes, they are your most beautiful features
我每天睡不着 想念你的微笑
I can’t fall asleep without seeing your smile
你不知道 你对我多么重要
You will never know how important you are to me
有了你 生命完整的刚好
Your presence completes my life
小酒窝 长睫毛 迷人得无可救药
Little dimples, long eyelashes, hopelessly attractive
我放慢了步调 感觉像是喝醉了
I slowed down my pace, feeling intoxicated
终于找到 心有灵犀的美好
Finally, we found each other
一辈子暖暖的好
A good warm life is good for us
我永远爱你到老
I will love you until the end of time
B. Vocabulary Bite
The vocabulary list is presented according to the order of their appearance in the song.
Flashcards and Pronunciation of the Dialog:
Step 3: Practice with this video with (traditional) Chinese lyrics and Pinyin subtitles, over and over again!
* Practice for Learners from higher levels. Fill in the blanks while listening to the song.
我还在____一个____和一个拥抱
谁替我____ 替我烦恼
为我____为我闹
幸福____有预兆
缘分让我们慢慢紧靠
然后____被吞没了
无聊变得有话聊 有____了
小酒窝 长睫毛 是你最美的记号
我每天睡不着____你的微笑
你不知道 你对我多么____
有了你 ____完整的刚好
小酒窝 长睫毛 迷人得无可救药
我放慢了步调 感觉像是喝醉了
____找到 心有灵犀的美好
一辈子暖暖的好 我____爱你到老
Step 4: Extension Reading Practice:
歌手信息(gē shǒu xìn xī) Singer Information
林俊杰 (JJ Lin)
蔡卓妍 (Charlene Choi)
Released in 2008, this song became a hit in Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong area, winning many awards-of-the-year. The song expresses the innocence of first love. Similar to the way the melody conveys a sense of simple love, the lyrics are also written in basic Chinese. This song uses many common words;“想念”“幸福”“缘分”“孤单”, for example, words that Chinese speakers use to describe relationships.
The singer, Junjie Lin (better known as JJ), is a talented composer and singer. He is popular in the Asia-Pacific region for his songs “江南(jiang nan)" and“一千年以后(yi qian nian yi hou)”. Charlene Choi(better known as “ah Sa”), singer and actress, rose to fame with the Cantonese pop group Twins (linked with Gillian Chung). Before the collaboration, JJ and Charlene did not have a chance to work together. The song was originally sung by JJ alone, but when the first demo was completed, the producer felt something was missing. JJ immediately thought of Charlene's "perfectly cute dimples", thus inviting Charlene to participate in this duet.