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Featured📅 8/21/2026👁️ 37 views

那些年 (Those Years) Lyrics, Pinyin & English

Key HSK Vocabulary

Word	Pinyin	Meaning	HSK	Action
那些	nà xiē	those
回首	huí shǒu	turn one's head, turn round	HSK 7
温柔	wēn róu	meek, gentle	HSK 7
相遇	xiāng yù	to meet, to come across	HSK 7
滴滴	Dī dī	drip, drop	HSK 6
模样	mú yàng	look, appearance	HSK 5
回忆	huí yì	recollect, recall	HSK 5
全世界	quán shì jiè	the whole world, entire world	HSK 5
记忆	jì yì	memory	HSK 5
拥抱	yōng bào	hug, embrace	HSK 5
舍得	shě de	not begrudge, be willing to part with	HSK 5
西装	xī zhuāng	suit, Western-style clothes	HSK 5
最初	zuì chū	prime, initial	HSK 4
排列	pái liè	rank, place	HSK 4
无数	wú shù	countless, innumerable	HSK 4
穿上	chuān shang	to put on	HSK 4
征服	zhēng fú	to conquer, to subdue	HSK 4
勇气	yǒng qì	nerve, courage	HSK 4
镜子	jìng zi	mirror, eyeglasses	HSK 4
组合	zǔ hé	association, combination	HSK 3

Grammar Notes

📌 终于...了 (zhōngyú... le)

This pattern is used to indicate that an event or state has finally been realized after a long period of waiting, expectation, or effort. It carries a tone of relief or excitement.

我们终于赢了比赛。

Wǒmen zhōngyú yíngle bǐsài.

We finally won the game.

📌 将 (jiāng) [Disposal Construction]

In formal, literary, or poetic Chinese, '将' is used interchangeably with '把' (bǎ) to form the disposal construction. It brings the direct object forward, placing it before the verb to emphasize the action's effect on the object.

请将行李放好。

Qǐng jiāng xíngli fàng hǎo.

Please put your luggage away properly.

📌 到最后...才... (dào zuìhòu... cái...)

This structure is used to express that a realization or action did not happen until the very end. '才' serves as an adverb emphasizing that the event occurred much later than expected, or only after reaching a final stage.

我到最后才懂他说话的意思。

Wǒ dào zuìhòu cái dǒng tā shuōhuà de yìsi.

Only at the very end did I understand what he meant.

📌 好想 (hǎo xiǎng)

In this structure, '好' is an adverb meaning 'very' or 'really', and '想' means 'to want' or 'to miss'. Together, '好想' is a colloquial and highly expressive way to say 'really want to' or 'deeply long to' perform an action.

我好想见你一面。

Wǒ hǎo xiǎng jiàn nǐ yīmiàn.

I really want to see you.

We all have that one memory tucked away in the corners of our minds—the scent of summer rain, the rustle of a school uniform, and the bittersweet ache of a first love that slipped through our fingers. Few songs capture this universal nostalgia quite like "Those Years" (那些年) by Hu Xia (胡夏). Ever since he catapulted to fame by winning Taiwan's prestigious singing competition One Million Star in 2010, Hu Xia has become Asia's quintessential voice for cinematic heartbreak. His signature clean, warm, and deeply emotive vocals don't just perform a song; they transport you back to your own youth, making him the absolute go-to artist for Mandopop's most iconic soundtracks.

If you are looking to learn Chinese in a way that actually sticks, diving into this melancholic masterpiece is the perfect place to start. Beyond the gorgeous melody lies a goldmine of everyday vocabulary, poetic grammar patterns, and raw emotional expressions. By unpacking the lyrics of "Those Years," you won't just improve your Mandarin listening skills and pronunciation—you'll learn how to speak directly to the heart.

Quick Info


Song Name	那些年 (Those Years)
Artist	胡夏
Original Singer	Original
Release Year	2011
Duration	06:12

The Story Behind the Song

In 2011, a wave of bittersweet nostalgia swept across the Mandopop world with "Those Years" (那些年), the heart-wrenching theme for Giddens Ko's blockbuster film You Are the Apple of My Eye. Penned by Ko himself and set to Mitsutoshi Kimura's sweeping melody, Hu Xia’s tender vocals breathe life into the universal ache of a lost first love.

For students across Chinese-speaking regions, this track became an enduring anthem, transforming personal regret into a shared celebration of youth. It captures the poignant realization of adulthood: that loving someone sometimes means watching them walk away, forever cherishing the versions of ourselves left behind in those fleeting, golden years.

✨ Lyrical Highlights

那些年错过的大雨，那些年错过的爱情
nà xiē nián cuò guò de dà yǔ, nà xiē nián cuò guò de ài qíng
The heavy rain missed in those years, the love missed in those years

This line beautifully uses parallel structure and the sensory image of "heavy rain" to evoke the passionate, unpredictable, yet fleeting nature of youth. Rain represents both the refreshing vitality of adolescence and the tears of regret, linking external nature to internal sorrow. It perfectly encapsulates the song's central theme of nostalgic longing for the beautiful moments and connections that slipped away.

曾经想征服全世界，到最后回首才发现，这世界滴滴点点全部都是你
céng jīng xiǎng zhēng fú quán shì jiè, dào zuì hòu huí shǒu cái fā xiàn, zhè shì jiè dī dī diǎn diǎn quán bù dōu shì nǐ
Once wanting to conquer the entire world, only to realize upon looking back at the end, that every little detail of this world is you

This lyric captures the bittersweet maturity of adulthood, contrasting grand youthful ambitions with the humbling realization of what truly matters. The hyperbole of "conquering the world" is tenderly scaled down to "every little detail" of the beloved, showing that true meaning lies in personal connection rather than external triumph. It connects to the theme by illustrating how first love permanently shapes and defines a person's entire worldview.