Yoona - 紅豆 (Red Bean) Lyrics, Pinyin & Translation

Key HSK Vocabulary

In Chinese culture, the red bean (紅豆) is a silent messenger of love and longing—a poetic symbol of those quiet, bittersweet moments when you miss someone so much it aches. When Lim Yoon-ah (Yoona) lent her delicate, velvety vocals to this iconic Mandarin ballad, she did more than just cover a classic; she breathed new life into a timeless masterpiece of yearning. Debuting in 2007 with the legendary K-pop group Girls' Generation, the South Korean superstar has captivated Asia for over a decade. Yet, it’s her flawless crossover into the Chinese entertainment world—marked by lead television roles and stunning Mandarin-language releases—that makes her rendition of this song so uniquely enchanting.

Listening to Yoona’s "紅豆" is like having a gentle, melancholic conversation with an old friend, making it the ultimate emotional gateway to learning Chinese. As her crystal-clear pronunciation guides you through the poetic lyrics of patience and devotion, you'll find that mastering Mandarin isn't just about memorizing vocabulary—it's about feeling the soul behind the words.

Quick Info

The Story Behind the Song

In Chinese lore, the tiny red bean is a heavy vessel of xiangsi—a bittersweet, aching longing for a distant beloved. When Faye Wong first breathed life into "Red Bean" in 1998, she captured the fragile impermanence of love, etching this ballad into the C-pop pantheon. It is a masterpiece of patience, embracing the truth that while all things eventually fade, the memory of shared warmth endures like a slow-burning ember.

Nearly two decades later, Korean icon Yoona transformed this melancholic classic into a tender bridge of gratitude for her 2016 album Blossom. Rather than replicating Faye’s haunting sorrow, Yoona infused the track with a soft, sunlit intimacy. Her remarkably crisp Mandarin and gentle vocals turned a song of bittersweet separation into a warm, comforting promise—a heartfelt love letter to her fans that proved true devotion transcends both time and language.

✨ Lyrical Highlights

有时候 有时候 我会相信一切有尽头 相聚离开 都有时候 没有什么会永垂不朽
Yǒushíhou yǒushíhou, wǒ huì xiāngxìn yīqiè yǒu jìntóu. Xiāngjù líkāi dōu yǒushíhou, méiyǒu shénme huì yǒngchuí bùxiǔ.
Sometimes, sometimes, I would believe everything has an end. Meeting and parting both have their times; nothing lasts forever.

This line captures a philosophical acceptance of impermanence, acknowledging that both joyful reunions and painful separations are inevitable cycles of life. By recognizing that "nothing lasts forever," the singer frames love not as a permanent possession, but as a fragile, precious experience. This vulnerability heightens the emotional stakes, making the pursuit of connection amid impermanence deeply moving.

可是我 有时候 宁愿选择留恋不放手 等到风景都看透 也许你会陪我看细水长流
Kěshì wǒ yǒushíhou, nìngyuàn xuǎnzé liúliàn bù fàngshǒu. Děng dào fēngjǐng dōu kàntòu, yěxǔ nǐ huì péi wǒ kàn xì shuǐ cháng liú.
But sometimes, I would rather choose to cling on and not let go. Until all the scenery has been seen through, perhaps you will accompany me to watch the water flow slowly.

This line beautifully contrasts the transient, dazzling "scenery" of life with the enduring devotion represented by the Chinese idiom "细水长流" (gently flowing streams). It encapsulates the core theme of the "red bean"—a traditional symbol of deep, lovesick yearning—where patient fidelity outlasts fleeting passion. The beauty lies in this quiet optimism, choosing a lifelong, steady companionship over temporary excitement.

Grammar Notes