Song guide
La La La
Shakira, Carlinhos Brown
La La La by Shakira, Carlinhos Brown, line by line: what the lyrics mean, 19 expressions explained and 167 words translated with their grammar. Learn Spanish from the song, free.
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.
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Essa bola vai rolar
This ball is going to roll
Lines 0–4 are in Portuguese, not Spanish — the song opens with a Brazilian Portuguese verse before switching to Spanish, reflecting the 2014 FIFA World Cup's host country, Brazil
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O mundo é um tapete verde
The world is a green carpet
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Quando a bola chega lá
When the ball gets there
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Coração fica na rede, na rede, na rede
The heart ends up in the net, in the net, in the net
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Olá, olá!
Hello, hello!
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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La!
La!
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Ahora
Now
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Leggo
Let's go
'Leggo' is an English-language slang exclamation (from 'let's go'), used here as an energetic call to action; it appears throughout the song as a multilingual hook
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Leggo
Let's go
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Leggo
Let's go
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Leggo
Let's go
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Todo el planeta es un corazón
The whole planet is a heart
This song is 'La La La' by Shakira featuring Carlinhos Brown, the official anthem of the 2014 FIFA World Cup held in Brazil; the lyrics celebrate South American identity and the universal language of football
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Que va al son de un mismo latido
That beats to the rhythm of a single heartbeat
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Suena un silbato, pasa un balón
A whistle blows, a ball goes by
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Y el mundo entero lanza un rugido
And the entire world lets out a roar
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Aquí se juega como se baila
Here we play the way we dance
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La pasión que tiene mi gente
The passion that my people have
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Quedan las penas en el olvido
Sorrows are left forgotten
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Bienvenidos a mi continente
Welcome to my continent
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Ven y deja los miеdos
Come and leave your fears behind
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Escribe tu historia
Write your story
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Apenas comienzas
You are just beginning
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No, no, no parеs ahora
No, no, don't stop now
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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(Por que no hay otro momento)
(Because there is no other moment)
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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(Oh-oh-oh)
(Oh-oh-oh)
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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Que ahora
Than now
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Leggo
Let's go
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Leggo
Let's go
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Blancos y negros
Whites and blacks
'Blancos y negros / Verdes y pardos' refers to the racial and ethnic diversity of Brazil and South America; 'pardos' is a term used in Brazil to describe people of mixed racial heritage, one of the official census categories
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Verdes y pardos
Greens and browns
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El país de todos los colores
The country of all colors
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Aquí se juega como se baila
Here we play the way we dance
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El Brasil de mis amores
The Brazil of my loves
'El Brasil de mis amores' is an affectionate phrase; Shakira, who is Colombian, expresses deep love for Brazil as the host nation of the World Cup
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Hay italianos, españoles
There are Italians, Spaniards
The mention of Italians, Spaniards, and Colombians reflects Brazil's history as a nation built by waves of immigration from Europe and Latin America, making it one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world
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Colombianos y todos presentes
Colombians and everyone present
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Esta es la América, la del sur
This is America, South America
In Spanish, 'América' typically refers to the entire American continent, not just the United States; 'la América del sur' specifically means South America, a distinction important for Spanish-speaking audiences
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Y aquí si hay cama
And here there is room
'Hay cama pa' tanta gente' is a colloquial expression meaning there is room/space for everyone; 'cama' literally means 'bed' but is used here idiomatically to mean accommodation or space, evoking South American hospitality
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Pa' tanta gente
For so many people
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Ven, entrégate entero
Come, give yourself completely
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Escribe tu historia
Write your story
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Pon lo eterno en los labios
Put eternity on your lips
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Y besa la gloria
And kiss glory
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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(Por que no hay otro momento)
(Because there is no other moment)
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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La-la-la-la-la (Oh-oh-oh)
La-la-la-la-la (Oh-oh-oh)
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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La!
La!
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Que ahora
Than now
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Ven, entrégate entero
Come, give yourself completely
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Escribe tu historia
Write your story
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Esto apenas comienza
This is just beginning
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No pares ahora, ahora, ahora
Don't stop now, now, now
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
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La!
La!
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Ahora
Now
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Leggo
Let's go
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Leggo
Let's go
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Leggo
Let's go
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Leggo
Let's go
Expressions and idioms in “La La La”
The lines that don't mean what the dictionary says.
- un mismo latido a single / one and the same heartbeat
- 'mismo' placed after an indefinite article and before a noun means 'the same' or 'one single'; 'un mismo latido' stresses unity — one shared heartbeat for the whole world
- va al son de goes to the beat of
- 'ir al son de' is a fixed expression meaning to move or act in time with a rhythm or sound; 'son' here means musical beat or rhythm, not the verb 'ser'
- se juega is played / one plays
- The reflexive 'se' with a verb creates an impersonal or passive construction in Spanish; 'se juega' means 'it is played' or 'one plays', without specifying who does the action
- se baila is danced / one dances
- Same impersonal/passive 'se' construction as 'se juega'; 'se baila' means 'it is danced' or 'one dances', a very common pattern in Spanish for describing general activities
- como se baila the way one dances
- 'como' here functions as 'the way' or 'in the same manner as', comparing two actions; combined with the impersonal 'se baila', the phrase means 'the way dancing is done here'
- quedan en el olvido are left in oblivion / are forgotten
- 'quedar en el olvido' is a fixed expression meaning to be forgotten or to fall into oblivion; 'quedar' here means 'to remain/be left', not 'to agree to meet'
- ven y deja come and leave
- Two imperative verbs joined by 'y' (and) create a sequence of commands; this is a common lyrical structure in Spanish to build momentum with direct address
- deja los miedos leave your fears behind
- 'dejar' as an imperative means 'to leave behind' or 'to let go of'; 'dejar de' + infinitive would mean 'to stop doing something', but here 'dejar' + noun means 'to leave/abandon' something
- apenas comienzas you are only just beginning
- 'apenas' + present tense conveys that something has only just started or is barely underway; it emphasises the very early stage of an action
- no pares ahora don't stop now
- Negative commands in Spanish use 'no' + the present subjunctive; 'no pares' (from 'parar') is the negative imperative for 'don't stop', contrasting with the affirmative imperative 'para'
- por que no hay because there is no
- 'porque' (written as two words here for lyrical emphasis) introduces a reason; 'hay' is the impersonal form of 'haber' used to express existence — 'there is/there are'
- se juega como se baila it is played the way it is danced
- Repetition of the impersonal 'se' construction from line 22; the parallel structure 'se juega / se baila' draws a cultural equivalence between playing football and dancing in Latin America
- la del sur the one of the south / South America
- The article 'la' here stands in for 'la América', creating an elliptical construction; 'la del sur' = 'the one from the south', a common Spanish shorthand where the noun is dropped after the article
- aquí sí hay here there really is
- 'sí' (with accent) used before a verb is an emphatic affirmative, equivalent to 'there really is' or 'there certainly is'; it contrasts with or emphasises a positive claim
- pa' tanta gente for so many people
- 'pa'' is a colloquial, song-lyric shortening of 'para'; 'tanta gente' uses 'tanto' (so much/so many) with the singular collective noun 'gente' (people), which is always grammatically singular in Spanish
- entrégate entero give yourself completely
- 'entregarse' is a reflexive verb meaning 'to give oneself over / to surrender oneself'; the reflexive clitic 'te' is attached to the imperative form; 'entero' (whole/complete) intensifies the idea of total commitment
- lo eterno that which is eternal / the eternal
- The neuter article 'lo' + adjective is a key Spanish pattern for abstracting a quality into a concept: 'lo bueno' = 'the good thing / what is good'; 'lo eterno' = 'what is eternal / eternity itself'
- pon lo eterno en los labios put what is eternal on your lips
- 'lo' + adjective creates a neuter noun phrase in Spanish: 'lo eterno' means 'that which is eternal' or 'the eternal'; this construction has no direct English equivalent and is very common in poetic Spanish
- esto apenas comienza this is only just beginning
- 'apenas' + present tense signals that something is at its very start; 'esto' is the neuter demonstrative pronoun referring to an unspecified situation or event
Vocabulary to learn from “La La La”
The words the song uses most.
- haber there is / there are verb ·4
- todo all / every / whole adjective ·3
- entero entire / whole adjective ·3
- venir come verb ·3
- escribir write verb ·3
- la historia story / history noun ·3
- ser is verb ·2
- jugar plays / is played verb ·2
- bailar dances / is danced verb ·2
- la gente people noun ·2
- comenzar you begin / you start verb ·2
- parar stop verb ·2
Verbs in the song, and the form being sung
Present tense for each; the highlighted row is the one you'll hear.
haber there is / there are
| yo | he |
|---|---|
| tú | has |
| él / ella / usted | ha / hay |
| nosotros | hemos |
| vosotros | habéis |
| ellos / ustedes | han |
venir come
| yo | vengo |
|---|---|
| tú | vienes |
| él / ella / usted | viene |
| nosotros | venimos |
| vosotros | venís |
| ellos / ustedes | vienen |
escribir write
| yo | escribo |
|---|---|
| tú | escribes |
| él / ella / usted | escribe |
| nosotros | escribimos |
| vosotros | escribís |
| ellos / ustedes | escriben |
ser is
| yo | soy |
|---|---|
| tú | eres |
| él / ella / usted | es |
| nosotros | somos |
| vosotros | sois |
| ellos / ustedes | son |
jugar plays / is played
| yo | juego |
|---|---|
| tú | juegas |
| él / ella / usted | juega |
| nosotros | jugamos |
| vosotros | jugáis |
| ellos / ustedes | juegan |
Grammar you'll meet in this song
- Present18
- Imperative11
- Present subjunctive2
