The Moon Represents My Heart 月亮代表我的心
Another classic Chinese song in the 70’s sung by the late Teresa Tang called The Moon Represents My Heart. The lyrics of the song were written by Sun Yi, and the music was composed by Weng Ching-Xi. When the Chinese song was released in 1973, it was first sung by Chen Fen-lan but was made famous by Teresa Teng’s version later in 1977.
This Chinese song has been covered by many famous singers all over the world, such as Katherine Jenkins, Jon Bon Jovi, Andy Lau, Faye Wong, to name a few. A famous Korean singer, 洪真英,even sang this song in Korean and Chinese.
Why the “Moon”
The Moon has a very deep symbolic meaning in the Chinese culture. It represents the symbol of beauty, romance, and the yearning of friends and family. For those who have left their homes to work faraway, whenever they miss their love ones or their homes, they will look at the moon.
This Chinese love song expresses that when words just don’t cut it, the moon, which represents pure and true love, can convey adequately the deep affection that one has.
Lyrics of the Chinese song “The Moon Represents My Heart”
你问我爱(愛)你有多深
Nǐ wèn wǒ ài nǐ yǒu duō shēn
You ask how deeply I love you
我爱(愛)你有几(幾)分
wǒ ài nǐ yǒu jǐ fēn
How much I love you
我的情也真
wǒ de qíng yě zhēn
My feelings are true
我的爱(愛)也真
wǒ de ài yě zhēn
My love is true
月亮代表我的心
yuè liàng dài biǎo wǒ de xīn
The moon represents my heart
你问我爱(愛)你有多深
Nǐ wèn wǒ ài nǐ yǒu duō shēn
You ask how deeply I love you
我爱(愛)你有几(幾)分
wǒ ài nǐ yǒu jǐ fēn
How much I love you
我的情不移
wǒ de qíng bù yí
My feelings will not shift
我的爱(愛)不变(變)
wǒ de ài bù biàn
My love will not change
月亮代表我的心
yuè liàng dài biǎo wǒ de xīn
The moon represents my heart
轻轻(輕輕)的一个(個)吻
qīng qīng de yī gè wěn
A soft soft kiss
已经(經)打动(動)我的心
yǐ jīng dǎ dòng wǒ de xīn
Has already moved my heart
深深的一段情
shēn shēn de yī duàn qíng
A deep affection
叫我思念到如今
jiào wǒ sī niàn dào rú jīn
Makes me long for you even till now
你问我爱(愛)你有多深
Nǐ wèn wǒ ài nǐ yǒu duō shēn
You ask how deeply I love you
我爱(愛)你有几(幾)分
wǒ ài nǐ yǒu jǐ fēn
How much I love you
你去想一想
nǐ qù xiǎng yī xiǎng
Go think about it
你去看一看
nǐ qù kàn yī kàn
Go take a look
月亮代表我的心
yuè liàng dài biǎo wǒ de xīn
The moon represents my heart
轻轻(輕輕)的一个(個)吻
qīng qīng de yī gè wěn
A soft soft kiss
已经(經)打动(動)我的心
yǐ jīng dǎ dòng wǒ de xīn
Has already moved my heart
深深的一段情
shēn shēn de yī duàn qíng
A deep affection
叫我思念到如今
jiào wǒ sī niàn dào rú jīn
Makes me long for you even till now
你问我爱(愛)你有多深
Nǐ wèn wǒ ài nǐ yǒu duō shēn
You ask how deeply I love you
我爱(愛)你有几(幾)分
wǒ ài nǐ yǒu jǐ fēn
How much I love you
你去想一想
nǐ qù xiǎng yī xiǎng
Go think about it
你去看一看
nǐ qù kàn yī kàn
Go take a look
月亮代表我的心
yuè liàng dài biǎo wǒ de xīn
The moon represents my heart
你去想一想
nǐ qù xiǎng yī xiǎng
Go think about it
你去看一看
nǐ qù kàn yī kàn
Go take a look
月亮代表我的心
yuè liàng dài biǎo wǒ de xīn
The moon represents my heart
New Chinese Words
深 shēn = deep
代表 dài biǎo = to represent
移 yí = to shift / to move
变((變) biàn = to change
吻 wěn = kiss
打动 (動) dǎ dòng = to be touched / to be moved
思念 sī niàn = to think of / to long for / to miss
如今 rú jīn = nowadays; now
Note
1. 你问我爱(愛)你有多深 / 我爱(愛)你有几(幾)分
How do you use these two Chinese word 多and 几? Click HERE to get a detailed explanation on how these two Chinese words should be used.
2. 我的情不移 / 我的爱(愛)不变(變)
不 is the most frequently used negation word in Chinese. This Chinese word 不 can work at many levels of the Chinese language to express the sense of negation. In English, when one wants to negate a word, most common usage would be to add “un” in front of the word, such as comfortable becomes uncomfortable, able becomes unable etc. In Chinese, 不 functions as the negative prefix and transforms a Chinese word to a word that has an opposite meaning to the other, such as 不移 /不变 derived from 移 / 变(變).
When 不 occurs in a Chinese phrase or Chinese sentence, it normally precedes a verb, an adjective, or an auxiliary. For example,
门打不开 (不 + Verb) Mén dǎ bù kāi ( the door cannot be opened)
她不漂亮 (不 + adj) Tā bù piào liang ( she is not pretty)
明天不会下雨 (不 + auxiliary) Míng tiān bù huì xià yǔ ( It won’t rain tomorrow)
The negative word 不 can be modified by a degree adverb to lessen the degree of negativity. For example,
- 他的答案不正确 Tā de dá àn bù zhèng què ( His answer is incorrect)
- 他的答案不完全正确 Tā de dá àn bù wánquán zhèngquè ( His answer is not entirely correct)
The first sentence is a complete denial of the answer, but the second sentence lessened the denial by adding the degree adverb 完全.
However, we have to take note that in the above types of sentence construction, the order of the 2 elements 不 and 完全 can be reversed, and the meaning of the sentence becomes completely different.
- 他的答案不完全正确 Tā de dá àn bù wán quán zhèng què ( His answer is not entirely correct)
- 他的答案完全不正确 Tā de dá àn wán quán bù zhèng què ( His answer is entirely not correct)
3. 你去想一想 /你去看一看
Verb reduplication such as 想一想/ 看一看can be used to imply that the action should be performed as a trial. For example,
这蛋糕看来很好吃,我要尝一尝.
Zhè dàn gāo kàn lái hěn hào chī, wǒ yào cháng yī cháng.
This cake looks delicious, I want to try it.
我没坐过缆车,我们去坐一坐,怎么样?
Wǒ méi zuò guò lǎn chē, wǒ men qù zuò yī zuò, zěn me yàng?
I have never ridden a cable car before, how about we give it a try?
Alright! Enough about Chinese grammar, its Karaoke time. Have the lyrics ready and sing along with Jon Bon Jovi.