Song guide

Bonita

DIOMEDES DIAZ

Bonita by DIOMEDES DIAZ, line by line: what the lyrics mean, 24 expressions explained and 398 words translated with their grammar. Learn Spanish from the song, free.

57 lines translated 398 words explained 24 expressions

Lyrics with English translation, line by line

Each line as sung, what it means, and — where it needs one — why it's said that way.

  1. Oye bonita, cuando me estás mirando

    Hey beautiful, when you are looking at me

    'Oye bonita' is a classic salsa/Latin pop opening address. 'Oye' (literally 'hear') is used throughout Latin music as an attention-grabbing interjection, famously in songs like 'Oye Como Va' by Tito Puente.

  2. Yo siento que mi vida cubre todo tu cuerpo

    I feel that my life covers your entire body

  3. Oye bonita, cuando me estás mirando

    Hey beautiful, when you are looking at me

  4. Yo siento que mi vida cubre todo tu cuerpo

    I feel that my life covers your entire body

  5. Oye bonita, y me siento tan contento

    Hey beautiful, and I feel so happy

  6. Que en el instante pienso como será mañana

    That in that instant I think about what tomorrow will be like

  7. Cuando te bese totalmente confiado

    When I kiss you, completely confident

  8. Que si alguien está mirando me comprende en seguida

    That if someone is watching, they understand me right away

  9. Que tus ojos me dominan

    That your eyes dominate me

  10. Que tu boca me fascina

    That your mouth fascinates me

  11. Que tu cuerpo me enloquece

    That your body drives me crazy

  12. Que cuando estemos juntos todo el mundo diga

    That when we are together, let the whole world say

  13. "Caramba, esos muchachos sí se quieren"

    "Wow, those two really love each other"

    'Caramba' is a mild Spanish exclamation of surprise or admiration, used across Latin America and Spain. It is considered a softened substitute for stronger expletives and is safe for all audiences.

  14. Pueda ser que Dios los guarde y la Virgen bendiga

    May God watch over them and the Virgin bless them

    The blessing 'Dios los guarde y la Virgen bendiga' reflects the deep Catholic tradition in Latin American culture, where invoking both God and the Virgin Mary (la Virgen) in blessings is common in everyday speech and song.

  15. El cariño que se tienen

    The affection they have for each other

  16. Pueda ser que Dios los guarde y la Virgen bendiga

    May God watch over them and the Virgin bless them

  17. El cariño que se tienen, hombe'

    The affection they have for each other, man

    'hombe'' is a colloquial Caribbean Spanish pronunciation of 'hombre' (man), with the final syllable dropped. It is used as a filler or emphasis word, similar to 'man' or 'buddy' in English, and is especially common in Cuban and Colombian speech.

  18. Como yo vivo de un lado para otro

    Since I live from one place to another

    The phrase 'vivo de un lado para otro' suggests the singer is a touring musician, a common theme in salsa and Latin popular music where artists frequently travel between cities and countries for performances.

  19. Porque mi profesión me obliga a hacerlo así

    Because my profession obliges me to do it that way

  20. Como yo vivo de un lado para otro

    Since I live from one place to another

  21. Porque mi profesión me obliga a hacerlo así

    Because my profession obliges me to do it that way

  22. Me pongo triste cuando me encuentro lejos

    I get sad when I find myself far away

  23. Entonces es cuando quiero estar cerca de ti

    That is when I want to be close to you

  24. Pa' ver si así no te sientes molesta

    To see if that way you don't feel upset

  25. Por causa de la ausencia que separa nuestras vidas

    Because of the absence that separates our lives

  26. Que tus ojos me dominan

    That your eyes dominate me

  27. Que tu boca me fascina

    That your mouth fascinates me

  28. Que tu cuerpo me enloquece

    That your body drives me crazy

  29. Que cuando estemos juntos todo el mundo diga

    That when we are together, let the whole world say

  30. "Caramba, esos muchachos sí se quieren"

    "Wow, those two really love each other"

  31. Pueda ser que Dios los guarde y la Virgen bendiga

    May God watch over them and the Virgin bless them

  32. El cariño que se tienen

    The affection they have for each other

  33. Pueda ser que Dios los guarde y la Virgen bendiga

    May God watch over them and the Virgin bless them

  34. El cariño que se tienen, hombe'

    The affection they have for each other, man

    The repeated use of 'hombe'' at the end of chorus lines is a characteristic feature of salsa music, where singers and coro (chorus) add spontaneous interjections to create a conversational, live-performance feel.

  35. Como tu dices que vives indecisa

    Since you say you live undecided

  36. Porque la desconfianza te daña el pensamiento

    Because distrust damages your thinking

  37. Como tu dices que vives indecisa

    Since you say you live undecided

  38. Porque la desconfianza te daña el pensamiento

    Because distrust damages your thinking

  39. Vengo a decirte en mi canción, bonita

    I come to tell you in my song, beautiful

  40. Que mi alma necesita tu noble sentimiento

    That my soul needs your noble feeling

    'el alma' (the soul) is a feminine noun but takes the masculine article 'el' in the singular to avoid the awkward sound of 'la alma'. This is a standard Spanish grammar rule for feminine nouns beginning with a stressed 'a' sound.

  41. Porque en la vida hay cosas importantes

    Because in life there are important things

  42. Que son más elegantes si se tratan con respeto

    That are more elegant when treated with respect

  43. Es que tus ojos me dominan

    It is that your eyes dominate me

  44. Que tu boca me fascina

    That your mouth fascinates me

  45. Que tu cuerpo me enloquece

    That your body drives me crazy

  46. Que cuando estemos juntos todo el mundo diga

    That when we are together, let the whole world say

  47. "Caramba, esos muchachos sí se quieren"

    "Wow, those two really love each other"

  48. Pueda ser que Dios los guarde y la Virgen bendiga

    May God watch over them and the Virgin bless them

  49. El cariño que se tienen

    The affection they have for each other

  50. Pueda ser que Dios los guarde y la Virgen bendiga

    May God watch over them and the Virgin bless them

  51. El cariño que se tienen, hombe'

    The affection they have for each other, man

  52. El cariño que se tienen

    The affection they have for each other

  53. El amor que ellos se tienen

    The love they have for each other

  54. El cariño que se tienen los dos

    The affection the two of them have for each other

  55. El cariño que se tienen, hombe'

    The affection they have for each other, man

  56. Pueda ser que Dios los guarde a los dos

    May God watch over the two of them

  57. El cariño que se tienen

    The affection they have for each other

Expressions and idioms in “Bonita”

The lines that don't mean what the dictionary says.

me estás mirando you are looking at me
estar + gerund (-ando/-iendo) forms the present progressive in Spanish, equivalent to English 'to be doing something'. The object pronoun 'me' is placed before the conjugated verb 'estás'.
me siento I feel
sentirse (reflexive) means 'to feel (a certain way)'; the plain verb sentir means 'to feel/sense something'. The reflexive 'me' shifts the meaning toward an internal emotional state.
tan contento so happy
tan + adjective is the Spanish equivalent of 'so + adjective' in English, expressing a high degree of a quality.
pienso como será mañana I think about what tomorrow will be like
pensar followed by an indirect question (como será) is a common construction meaning 'to think about how/what something will be'. Note that 'como' here introduces an indirect question, not a comparison.
en seguida right away / immediately
en seguida is a fixed adverbial phrase meaning 'immediately' or 'right away'. It cannot be deduced word-for-word from 'in' + 'sequence'.
cuando estemos juntos when we are together
After 'cuando' referring to a future or hypothetical situation, Spanish requires the subjunctive (estemos), not the indicative. English uses the simple present ('when we are') in the same context.
todo el mundo everyone / the whole world
todo el mundo literally means 'the whole world' but is the standard Spanish idiom for 'everyone / everybody'. It is one of the most common ways to say 'everyone' in everyday Spanish.
se quieren they love each other
querer + reciprocal 'se' (3rd person plural) expresses mutual love or affection. The plain querer means 'to want/love', but se quieren specifically conveys 'they love each other'.
sí se quieren they really do love each other
The adverb 'sí' (with accent) placed before a verb acts as an emphatic affirmation, equivalent to English 'they really do...' or 'they certainly...'. It is not the conditional 'si' (if).
Pueda ser que May it be that / Hopefully
pueda ser que is a fixed subjunctive expression used to express a wish or hope, similar to 'may it be that...' or 'hopefully...'. It requires the subjunctive in the following clause.
Dios los guarde may God watch over them
This is a subjunctive wish construction: the present subjunctive (guarde) after an implied 'que' expresses a blessing or prayer. It is a traditional religious blessing formula common in Latin American culture.
se tienen they have for each other
tener + reciprocal 'se' expresses mutual possession or feeling. Here 'el cariño que se tienen' means 'the affection they hold for each other', not just 'they have it'.
de un lado para otro from one place to another
de un lado para otro is a fixed idiomatic phrase meaning 'from one place to another' or 'back and forth'. It describes constant movement or travel.
me obliga a hacerlo obliges me to do it
obligar a + infinitive is the pattern 'to oblige/force someone to do something'. The preposition 'a' is required before the infinitive. The pronoun 'lo' is attached to the infinitive 'hacer' to form 'hacerlo' (to do it).
Me pongo triste I get sad / I become sad
ponerse + adjective is the standard construction for expressing a change of emotional or physical state, equivalent to 'to get/become + adjective'. It is one of the most important state-change verbs in Spanish.
me encuentro lejos I find myself far away
encontrarse (reflexive) means 'to find oneself' in a place or situation. The plain encontrar means 'to find something/someone'. The reflexive shifts the meaning to one's own location or state.
quiero estar cerca de ti I want to be close to you
cerca de + pronoun means 'close to / near'. After a preposition, Spanish uses the prepositional pronoun 'ti' (not 'te') for the second person singular.
te sientes molesta you feel upset
sentirse + adjective (reflexive) expresses an emotional state. The adjective 'molesta' agrees in gender with the subject (feminine here, addressing a woman). This is the same ponerse/sentirse pattern for emotional states.
Pa' ver si to see if / in order to see whether
Pa' is a colloquial contraction of 'para' common in Latin American song and speech. 'Para ver si' means 'in order to see if/whether', expressing purpose.
por causa de because of / due to
por causa de is a prepositional phrase meaning 'because of' or 'due to'. It is more formal or emphatic than a simple 'por' alone.
vives indecisa you live undecided / you go through life undecided
vivir + adjective is a poetic construction meaning 'to live in a state of...'. The adjective describes the ongoing condition of the subject's life, not a momentary feeling.
Vengo a decirte I come to tell you
venir a + infinitive expresses the purpose of coming — 'to come (in order) to do something'. It is a very common periphrastic construction in Spanish.
hay cosas there are things
hay is the impersonal form of haber used to express existence ('there is / there are'). It does not change for singular or plural — 'hay una cosa' and 'hay cosas' both use 'hay'.
se tratan con respeto are treated with respect
se + 3rd person verb is the impersonal/passive construction in Spanish, equivalent to English passive 'are treated'. It avoids naming a specific agent, making a general statement.

Vocabulary to learn from “Bonita”

The words the song uses most.

Verbs in the song, and the form being sung

Present tense for each; the highlighted row is the one you'll hear.

ser will be

sung: será irregular
ser — present tense
yo soy
tú eres
él / ella / usted es
nosotros somos
vosotros sois
ellos / ustedes son

tener they have

sung: tienen irregular
tener — present tense
yo tengo
tú tienes
él / ella / usted tiene
nosotros tenemos
vosotros tenéis
ellos / ustedes tienen

estar you are

sung: estás irregular
estar — present tense
yo estoy
tú estás
él / ella / usted está
nosotros estamos
vosotros estáis
ellos / ustedes están

poder may / can

sung: pueda irregular
poder — present tense
yo puedo
tú puedes
él / ella / usted puede
nosotros podemos
vosotros podéis
ellos / ustedes pueden

guardar watches over / keeps

sung: guarde
guardar — present tense
yo guardo
tú guardas
él / ella / usted guarda
nosotros guardamos
vosotros guardáis
ellos / ustedes guardan

Grammar you'll meet in this song

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