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Featured📅 7/9/2026👁️ 63 views

知足 (Contentment) Lyrics & Pinyin | Learn Chinese

Key HSK Vocabulary

Word	Pinyin	Meaning	HSK	Action
知足	zhī zú	be content with one's lot	HSK 7
彩虹	cǎi hóng	rainbow	HSK 7
寂寞	jì mò	lonely, lonesome	HSK 7
身影	shēn yǐng	form, figure	HSK 7
收藏	shōu cáng	collect, store up	HSK 6
笑容	xiào róng	smile, smiling expression	HSK 6
忍受	rěn shòu	bear, suffer	HSK 5
祝福	zhù fú	wish, blessing	HSK 4
消失	xiāo shī	disappear, vanish	HSK 3
天空	tiān kōng	the sky, the heavens	HSK 3
星星	xīng xing	star, star-shaped object	HSK 2
天上	tiān shàng	the sky, the heavens	HSK 2
夏天	xià tiān	summer	HSK 2
如果	rú guǒ	if, in case	HSK 2
地上	dì shang	on the floor, on the ground	HSK 1
那天	nà tiān	that day, the other day
人海	rén hǎi	sea of faces, huge crowd
再不	zài bù	or else, or
南方	nán fāng	south, southern direction
天天	tiān tiān	daily, every day

Grammar Notes

📌 怎麼去 + Verb

This structure combines '怎麼' (how) and the functional verb '去' (to go / to proceed) before an action verb. It is used to ask how one can go about doing something, often carrying a rhetorical tone of difficulty or impossibility in poetic or emotional contexts.

我不知道怎麼去面對他。

wǒ bù zhīdào zěnme qù miànduì tā.

I don't know how to go about facing him.

📌 如果...

The conjunction '如果' means 'if' and is used to introduce a hypothetical condition. It is commonly placed at the beginning of a clause and is frequently paired with '就' (then) or rhetorical questions in the main clause.

如果你有時間，我們一起去吃飯吧。

rúguǒ nǐ yǒu shíjiān, wǒmen yīqǐ qù chīfàn ba.

If you have time, let's go eat together.

📌 為了...而...

This grammatical pattern expresses purpose and result. '為了' (wèile) introduces the goal, purpose, or beneficiary, while '而' (ér) acts as a coordinating conjunction that connects the purpose to the resulting action or emotion.

大家為了追求夢想而努力奮鬥。

dàjiā wèile zhuīqiú mèngxiǎng ér nǔlì fèndòu.

Everyone strives hard for the sake of pursuing their dreams.

📌 ...才...

The adverb '才' (cái) is used here to mean 'only then'. It indicates that an action, realization, or state occurred late, or only after a specific event or prerequisite condition has been met.

我到了家才發現鑰匙丟了。

wǒ dào le jiā cái fāxiàn yàoshi diū le.

Only when I got home did I realize I lost my keys.

There is a quiet, bittersweet bravery in loving someone enough to let them go—a feeling of looking up at a starry night sky and finding peace in the memories left behind. This is the emotional landscape of "知足" (Contentment), a gentle, acoustic masterpiece by Mayday. Formed in 1997, this legendary Taiwanese alternative rock band—consisting of Ashin, Monster, Stone, Masa, and Guan You—is globally revered as the "Kings of Concert" in the Mandopop world. While they are famous for filling massive stadiums with high-octane youth anthems, it is their deeply poetic songwriting in raw, emotional ballads like "知足" that truly cements their legacy.

Unlocking the lyrics of "知足" is one of the most beautiful and evocative ways to learn Chinese. Through Ashin’s nostalgic imagery of summer breezes and tear-stained smiles, you won't just practice essential Mandarin vocabulary and grammar; you will discover how a single, simple phrase can carry the weight of a lifetime of love, longing, and letting go.

Quick Info


Song Name	知足 (Contentment)
Artist	Mayday
Original Singer	Original
Release Year	2005
Duration	04:16

The Story Behind the Song

In the universe of Mandopop, true devotion is often measured not by holding on, but by the quiet grace of letting go. Penned by lead vocalist Ashin, Mayday’s signature ballad "知足" (Contentment) captures this delicate emotional tightrope. It beautifully transforms the pain of parting into a selfless blessing, silencing one's own longing to ensure a beloved’s happiness.

To paint this bittersweet sacrifice, the song brilliantly weaves in the nostalgic notes of the nursery rhyme "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." This childhood melody strips away any resentment, framing the heartache in pure, innocent vulnerability. It elevates the track into a profound cultural anthem of emotional maturity—a gentle reminder that under the same vast sky, releasing someone to chase their own light is its own beautiful form of completion.

✨ Lyrical Highlights

我愛你卻不能擁抱
Wǒ ài nǐ què bù néng yǒngbào
I love you, yet cannot embrace you.

This line beautifully conveys the profound bittersweetness at the heart of the song. Its simple language belies the deep emotional conflict of loving someone intensely but being unable to truly connect or possess them. It underscores the theme of finding a form of contentment (知足) that acknowledges a painful, unfulfilled longing.

知足的快樂叫我忍受心痛
Zhīzú de kuàilè jiào wǒ rěnshòu xīntòng
The joy of contentment makes me endure heartache.

This line is a powerful and direct articulation of the song's central paradox, juxtaposing "joy of contentment" with "heartache." It poetically captures the complex nature of true "知足," suggesting it's not always pure happiness but can be a profound acceptance found even amidst sorrow and sacrifice. It beautifully defines the unique, bittersweet contentment explored throughout the lyrics.