Song guide

NUEVAYoL

Bad Bunny

NUEVAYoL by Bad Bunny, line by line: what the lyrics mean, 23 expressions explained and 387 words translated with their grammar. Learn Spanish from the song, free.

57 lines translated 387 words explained 23 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. ¡Nueva Yol!

    New York! (pronounced 'New Yol' in Puerto Rican slang)

    'Nueva Yol' is a phonetic spelling of 'New York' as pronounced in Puerto Rican Spanish, where the English 'rk' sound becomes 'l.' It is a beloved cultural marker of the Puerto Rican diaspora experience and appears in classic salsa songs.

  2. Si te quieres divertir

    If you want to have fun

  3. Con encanto y con primor

    With charm and with flair

  4. Solo tienes que vivir (¿Pa' dónde?)

    You just have to live (Where to?)

  5. Un verano en Nueva York (¡Nueva York!)

    A summer in New York (New York!)

  6. Si te quieres divertir

    If you want to have fun

  7. Con encanto y con primor (¿Pero qué es esto?)

    With charm and with flair (But what is this?)

  8. Solo tienes que vivir (¿Y este frío?)

    You just have to live (And this cold?)

  9. Un verano en Nueva York (Un ratito na' má')

    A summer in New York (Just a little while)

  10. Ey, ey, ey, quatro de julio, 4th de July

    Hey, hey, hey, Fourth of July, 4th of July

    The Fourth of July (Independence Day) is celebrated by Puerto Rican communities in New York City with large street parties, especially in neighborhoods like the Bronx and Washington Heights. The mixing of Spanish (quatro de julio) and English (4th of July) in the same line reflects the bilingual Nuyorican identity.

  11. Ando con mi primo, borracho, rulay

    I'm hanging out with my cousin, drunk, man

    'Rulay' is Puerto Rican slang derived from the English word 'ruler,' used as a term of address meaning 'man / dude / bro.' It is common in urban Puerto Rican speech.

  12. Los mío' en El Bronx saben la que hay

    My people in the Bronx know what's up

  13. Con la nota en high por Washington Heights

    Riding high through Washington Heights

    Washington Heights is a neighborhood in upper Manhattan, New York City, with a large Dominican and Puerto Rican population. It is a cultural hub for the Latino diaspora.

  14. Willie Colón, me dicen "еl malo", ey

    Willie Colón — they call me 'the bad one,' hey

    Willie Colón is a legendary Puerto Rican-American salsa musician from the Bronx. His 1973 album was literally titled 'El Malo' (The Bad One), making this line a direct homage. Bad Bunny is comparing his own cultural impact to Colón's.

  15. Porque pasan los año' y sigo dando palo'

    Because the years go by and I'm still putting in work

  16. Vendiеndo disco' como cuadro' 'e Frida Kahlo

    Selling records like paintings by Frida Kahlo

    Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter whose works are among the most recognized and valuable in the world. Comparing record sales to Kahlo paintings implies both high value and iconic cultural status.

  17. El perico es blanco, sí, sí, el tusi rosita, eh, eh

    The parakeet is white, yeah yeah, the little pink one, eh eh

    'El perico' (the parakeet) is a well-known slang term for cocaine in Latin American Spanish. 'El tusi' or 'tusibi' refers to a synthetic pink-colored drug (2C-B) popular in Latin American party scenes. The line plays on the color contrast (white vs. pink) while warning listeners not to confuse the two substances.

  18. No te confunda', no, no, mejor evita, ey (Ey)

    Don't get confused, no no, better avoid it, hey

  19. Un shot de cañita en casa de Toñita y PR se siente cerquita

    A shot of cañita at Toñita's place, and Puerto Rico feels so close

    'Cañita' is a colloquial Puerto Rican term for homemade or artisanal rum, often associated with rural Puerto Rican culture and nostalgia. Drinking it at someone's house evokes a sense of home and community. 'PR' stands for Puerto Rico.

  20. Sí, sí, sí, tengo el campeonato, nadie me lo quita

    Yeah yeah yeah, I've got the championship — nobody can take it from me

  21. The best in the world

    The best in the world

  22. Number one, the best in the world, ¿okey? ¡Puerto Rico!

    Number one, the best in the world, okay? Puerto Rico!

  23. ¿Cómo Bad Bunny va a ser rey del pop, ey

    How is Bad Bunny going to be the King of Pop, huh?

  24. Con reggaetón y dembow? Ey

    With reggaeton and dembow? Hey

  25. Con reggaetón y dembow, sí

    With reggaeton and dembow, yes

  26. Con reggaetón y dembow

    With reggaeton and dembow

  27. ¿Cómo Bad Bunny va a ser rey del pop, ey

    How is Bad Bunny going to be the King of Pop, huh?

  28. Con reggaetón y dembow?

    With reggaeton and dembow?

  29. Me siento como el Lapiz en "Capea El Dough"

    I feel like Lapiz in 'Capea El Dough'

    Lapiz Conciente (often spelled 'Lápiz') is a highly respected Puerto Rican underground rapper known for his complex lyricism. 'Capea El Dough' is one of his celebrated tracks. Bad Bunny invoking Lapiz signals respect for Puerto Rican rap roots.

  30. Cuando yo nací, fue que nació el flow

    When I was born, that's when the flow was born

  31. De la'o a la'o, ping-pong

    Side to side, ping-pong

  32. Un flow pesa'o, Big Pun

    A heavy flow, Big Pun

    Big Pun (Christopher Rios) was a Puerto Rican rapper from the Bronx, widely considered one of the greatest lyricists in hip-hop history. Referencing him is a tribute to Puerto Rican excellence in rap.

  33. Con silenciador les robamo' las gata', James Bond, ey

    With a silencer we steal their girls, James Bond, hey

  34. Yo estoy en la mía, no tengo adversario, no

    I'm in my own lane, I have no rival, no

  35. Con Los Yankee' y Los Met', Juan Soto

    With the Yankees and the Mets, Juan Soto

    Juan Soto is a Dominican-born baseball superstar who played for both the New York Yankees and New York Mets. Mentioning both New York teams alongside Soto reflects the song's New York summer theme and Latino pride in sports.

  36. A correr, que otra ve' la sacamo' 'el estadio (Ey)

    Let's run — once again we knock it out of the stadium (Hey)

  37. Si te quieres divertir

    If you want to have fun

  38. Con encanto y con primor

    With charm and with flair

  39. Solo tienes que vivir (Ya mismo nos vamo')

    You just have to live (We're leaving right now)

  40. Un verano en Nueva— (Un ratito má', un ratito)

    A summer in New— (Just a little longer, just a little while)

  41. Shh, cuida'o, que nadie nos escuche

    Shh, be careful — don't let anyone hear us

  42. Shh, cuida'o, que nadie nos escuche

    Shh, be careful — don't let anyone hear us

  43. Shh, cuida'o, que nadie nos escuche

    Shh, be careful — don't let anyone hear us

  44. Shh, cuida—

    Shh, be care—

  45. Tú tiene' piquete, mami, yo también

    You've got style, girl, and so do I

    'Mami' in this context is not a reference to one's mother but a common Puerto Rican and Caribbean term of endearment or address directed at an attractive woman, similar to 'girl' or 'babe' in English slang.

  46. Tú estás buena, yo estoy bueno también

    You're hot, and I'm hot too

  47. Huelo rico y ando con los de cien

    I smell great and I roll with the top ones

    'Huelo rico' (I smell great) is a recurring motif in reggaeton and urban Latin music, often used as a boastful expression of personal grooming and attractiveness. 'Los de cien' (the hundred ones) is slang for the elite, the real ones, or the top-tier crew.

  48. Si tú lo quiere', lo tiene' que mover

    If you want it, you've got to move it

  49. Tú tiene' piquete, mami, yo también

    You've got style, girl, and so do I

  50. Tú estás buena, yo estoy bueno también

    You're hot, and I'm hot too

  51. Huelo rico y ando con los de cien

    I smell great and I roll with the top ones

  52. Si tú lo quiere', lo tiene' que mover

    If you want it, you've got to move it

  53. Lo tiene' que move

    You've got to move it

  54. Lo tiene' que move

    You've got to move it

  55. Lo tiene' que move

    You've got to move it

  56. Lo tiene' que move

    You've got to move it

  57. Shh

    Shh

Expressions and idioms in “NUEVAYoL”

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

te quieres divertir you want to have fun
querer + infinitive is a common construction meaning 'to want to do something.' The reflexive te here belongs to the reflexive verb divertirse (to have fun / to enjoy oneself); the reflexive pronoun shifts position before the conjugated verb in this construction.
Pa' dónde Where to?
Pa' is a colloquial Caribbean Spanish shortening of para. Para dónde literally means 'toward where?' and is used to ask a destination, equivalent to 'Where are you going?' or 'Where to?'
Solo tienes que vivir You just have to live
tener que + infinitive expresses obligation or necessity. This is one of the most essential constructions in Spanish: tener que + infinitive = 'to have to do something.' Solo (only/just) softens the obligation to a simple requirement.
Ando con I'm hanging out with
andar con in colloquial Latin American Spanish means 'to hang out with' or 'to be going around with someone.' Plain andar means 'to walk/go,' but andar con a person implies companionship or association.
Los mío' My people
los míos (with elided final s typical of Caribbean Spanish) is a possessive pronoun phrase meaning 'mine' or, colloquially, 'my people / my crew / my family.' The article los is required before the possessive pronoun in Spanish.
saben la que hay know what's up / know how it is
saber lo que hay is a fixed colloquial expression meaning 'to know what's going on / to know the deal.' La que hay (with feminine la instead of neuter lo) is a Caribbean variant. It is not deducible word-for-word.
con la nota en high riding high / on a high
la nota in Puerto Rican slang refers to a vibe, mood, or state of being. Con la nota en high is a code-switched phrase meaning 'feeling high / in a great mood / riding the wave.' It blends Spanish and English in a pattern common in Spanglish.
me dicen they call me
decirle a alguien + noun/title is used in Spanish to mean 'to call someone something.' Me dicen el malo = 'they call me the bad one.' This is an indirect object construction: me is the indirect object (to me), and dicen is 3rd person plural with no explicit subject.
sigo dando palo' I keep putting in work
seguir + gerund is a periphrastic construction meaning 'to keep doing something / to continue doing something.' Dar palos is a Caribbean slang expression meaning 'to put in work / to hustle / to keep grinding.' The combination sigo dando palos = 'I keep hustling.'
pasan los año' the years go by
pasar used with time expressions means 'to pass / to go by.' Los años pasan = 'the years pass.' This is a common idiomatic use of pasar distinct from its other meanings (to happen, to pass an object).
No te confunda' Don't get confused
No + te + subjunctive is the standard Spanish construction for a negative informal command directed at 'tú.' No te confundas (with elided final s) = 'don't confuse yourself / don't get confused.' The reflexive te indicates the action reflects back on the subject.
se siente cerquita feels so close
sentirse is the reflexive form of sentir; where sentir means 'to feel (something),' sentirse means 'to feel (a certain way).' Here PR se siente cerquita = 'Puerto Rico feels very close.' Cerquita is a diminutive of cerca, adding an affectionate, emotional nuance.
nadie me lo quita nobody can take it from me
quitarle algo a alguien = 'to take something away from someone.' The double pronoun me lo (indirect + direct object) is required in Spanish when both objects are pronouns: me = from me, lo = it. This double-pronoun order (indirect before direct) is a key Spanish grammar pattern.
va a ser is going to be
ir a + infinitive is the standard Spanish periphrastic future, equivalent to English 'going to + verb.' Va a ser = 'is going to be.' This construction is used more frequently than the simple future tense in spoken Spanish.
Me siento como I feel like
sentirse (reflexive) + como = 'to feel like (someone/something).' The reflexive me is required because sentirse is a pronominal verb; plain sentir without the pronoun means 'to feel/sense something external,' while sentirse describes an internal state.
estoy en la mía I'm in my own lane / I'm doing my own thing
estar en la mía (or en lo mío) is a colloquial expression meaning 'to be focused on one's own thing / to be in one's own world.' It uses the possessive pronoun la mía (mine, fem.) as a noun phrase. This idiom is not deducible from the individual words.
otra ve' la sacamo' 'el estadio once again we knock it out of the stadium
sacar algo de un lugar = 'to take/knock something out of a place.' Otra vez (elided to otra ve') means 'again / once more.' The phrase sacar la pelota del estadio is a baseball idiom for hitting a home run; here it is used metaphorically for outstanding achievement.
Ya mismo nos vamo' We're leaving right now
ya mismo is an intensified form of ya, meaning 'right now / this very moment,' common in Caribbean Spanish. nos vamos (elided to nos vamo') is the reflexive form of irse (to leave/go away); plain ir means 'to go,' while irse emphasizes departure.
que nadie nos escuche so that nobody hears us
que + subjunctive after a warning or command expresses a purpose or wish: 'so that nobody hears us.' The subjunctive escuche (not indicative escucha) is required because the clause expresses a desired outcome rather than a stated fact.
tiene' piquete you've got style / you've got it
tener piquete is a Caribbean slang expression meaning 'to have style, swag, or a special quality that makes you stand out.' Piquete literally means 'sting/prick' but in slang it refers to that special edge or flair. Not deducible from the literal meaning.
estás buena you're hot / you're attractive
estar bueno/buena (with estar, not ser) is a colloquial expression meaning 'to be physically attractive / hot.' Using ser bueno/buena would mean 'to be a good person.' The choice of estar vs. ser completely changes the meaning here.
ando con los de cien I roll with the top ones / I hang with the best
los de cien is a slang expression literally meaning 'those of a hundred,' used to refer to top-tier people or the elite crew. Cien (100) is used as a superlative marker in Latin American slang, similar to saying 'the hundred-percenters' or 'the real ones.'
lo tiene' que mover you've got to move it
tener que + infinitive expresses obligation. When a direct object pronoun (lo) is present, it can precede the conjugated verb rather than attach to the infinitive: lo tienes que mover = tienes que moverlo. Both word orders are correct in Spanish.

Vocabulary to learn from “NUEVAYoL”

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.

tener you have

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

mover to move

irregular
mover — present tense
yo muevo
tú mueves
él / ella / usted mueve
nosotros movemos
vosotros movéis
ellos / ustedes mueven

querer want

sung: quieres irregular
querer — present tense
yo quiero
tú quieres
él / ella / usted quiere
nosotros queremos
vosotros queréis
ellos / ustedes quieren

ser is

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

estar I am

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

Grammar you'll meet in this song

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