You’re not sure if it sounds French?<\/p>\n
Well, true, it at least sounds like une<\/strong><\/em> onomatop\u00e9e <\/strong><\/em>(an onomatopoeia), like a French frog (a real one, please) that would go “coac coac<\/em>”\u00a0<\/strong>(Americans would say “ribbit, ribbit<\/strong>.”)<\/p>\n But, non<\/strong><\/em>, it’s not really\u00a0une<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0onomatop\u00e9e<\/strong><\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n Here’s how you can decipher it:<\/p>\n Papaoutai<\/em><\/strong> is actually\u00a0“Papa o\u00f9<\/strong><\/em> t’es”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Meaning:<\/p>\n Papa, o\u00f9<\/strong><\/em> es-tu?<\/strong><\/em> (Dad, where are you?)<\/p>\n Facile, non?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n * * *<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymotion.com\/video\/x13m78u_stromae-papaoutai-official-music-video_music<\/a><\/p>\n Stromae – “Papaoutai<\/span>“<\/strong> Dites-moi d’o\u00f9 il vient<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Tell me where he comes from<\/p>\n Enfin, je saurais o\u00f9 je vais<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Finally, I’d know where I’m going<\/p>\n Maman dit que lorsqu’on cherche bien<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Mom says that when one searches well<\/p>\n On finit toujours par trouver<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n One always ends up finding<\/p>\n Elle dit qu’il n’est jamais tr\u00e8s loin<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n She says he is never too far<\/p>\n Qu’il part tr\u00e8s souvent travailler<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n That he often goes to work<\/p>\n Maman dit travailler c’est bien<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Mom says that work is good<\/p>\n Bien mieux qu’\u00eatre mal accompagn\u00e9<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Way better than being in a bad company<\/p>\n Pas vrai?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Not true?<\/p>\n O\u00f9 est ton papa?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Where’s your dad?<\/p>\n Dis-moi o\u00f9 est ton papa!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Tell me where your father is!<\/p>\n Sans m\u00eame devoir lui parler<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Without even having to talk to him<\/p>\n Il sait ce qui ne va pas<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n He knows what’s not going well<\/p>\n Hein, sacr\u00e9 papa!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Hein, good ole’ dad!<\/p>\n Dis-moi o\u00f9 es-tu cach\u00e9!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Tell me where you are hiding!<\/p>\n \u00c7a doit\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>faire au moins mille fois que j’ai<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n It must have been at least a thousand times since I<\/p>\n Compt\u00e9 mes doigts<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Counted on my fingers<\/p>\n H\u00e9!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Hey!<\/p>\n O\u00f9 t’es? Papa, o\u00f9 t’es?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Where are you? Dad, where are you?<\/p>\n O\u00f9 t’es? Papa, o\u00f9 t’es?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Where are you? Dad, where are you?<\/p>\n O\u00f9 t’es? Papa, o\u00f9 t’es?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Where are you? Dad, where are you?<\/p>\n Ou t’es, ou t’es o\u00f9 papa, o\u00f9 t’es?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Where are you? Dad, where are you?<\/p>\n O\u00f9 t’es? Papa, o\u00f9 t’es?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Where are you? Dad, where are you?<\/p>\n O\u00f9 t’es? Papa, o\u00f9 t’es?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Where are you? Dad, where are you?<\/p>\n O\u00f9 t’es? Papa, o\u00f9 t’es?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Where are you? Dad, where are you?<\/p>\n Ou t’es, ou t’es o\u00f9 papa, o\u00f9 t’es?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Where are you? Dad, where are you?<\/p>\n Qu’on y croit ou pas<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Whether one believes in it or not<\/p>\n Il y aura bien un jour o\u00f9 on n’y croira plus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n There will be a day when one won’t believe in it anymore<\/p>\n Un jour o\u00f9 l’autre on sera tous papa<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n One day or another we will all be daddies<\/p>\n Et d’un jour \u00e0 l’autre on aura disparu<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n And one day or another we’ll disappear<\/p>\n Serons-nous d\u00e9testables?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Will we be detestable?<\/p>\n Serons-nous admirables?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Will we be admirable?<\/p>\n Des g\u00e9niteurs ou des g\u00e9nies?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Genitors or geniuses?<\/p>\n Dites-nous qui donne<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Tell who gives<\/p>\n Naissance aux irresponsables<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Birth to the irresponsable people?<\/p>\n Ah dites-nous qui, tient,<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Ah tell us who, let’s see,<\/p>\n Tout le monde sait<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Everyone knows<\/p>\n Comment on fait des b\u00e9b\u00e9s<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n How babies are made<\/p>\n Mais personne sait<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n But no one knows<\/p>\n Comment on fait des papas<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n How fathers are made<\/p>\n Monsieur je-sais-tout<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Mister I-know-it-all<\/p>\n En aurait h\u00e9rit\u00e9, c’est \u00e7a<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Would have inherited it, that’s right<\/p>\n Faut l’sucer d’son pouce ou quoi?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Does he need some thumb-sucking or what?<\/p>\n Dites-nous o\u00f9 c’est cach\u00e9<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Tell us where it’s hidden<\/p>\n \u00c7a doit…<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n That must…<\/p>\n Faire au moins mille fois qu’on a<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Have been at least a thousand times since we<\/p>\n bouff\u00e9 nos doigts<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Ate our own fingers<\/p>\n H\u00e9!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Hey!<\/p>\n O\u00f9 t’es? Papa, o\u00f9 t’es?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Where are you? Dad, where are you?<\/p>\n O\u00f9 t’es? Papa, o\u00f9 t’es?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Where are you? Dad, where are you?<\/p>\n O\u00f9 t’es? Papa, o\u00f9 t’es?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Where are you? Dad, where are you?<\/p>\n Sans m\u00eame devoir lui parler<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Without even having to talk to him<\/p>\n Il sait ce qui ne va pas<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n He knows what’s wrong<\/p>\n Hein, sacr\u00e9 papa!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Hein, good ole’s dad!<\/p>\n Dis moi o\u00f9 es-tu cach\u00e9!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Tell me where you are hiding!<\/p>\n \u00c7a doit…<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n That must have been…<\/p>\n Faire au moins mille fois que j’ai<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n At least a thousand times since I<\/p>\n Compt\u00e9 mes doigts<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Counted my fingers<\/p>\n
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