KAROL G – Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido – Spanish Songs, Translated

KAROL G is back—and this time, she’s taking us straight to the beach bars of the Dominican Republic! 🇩🇴
Her latest single, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” (If I Had Met You Earlier), is a tropical merengue-fusion track bursting with rhythm, sass, and flirtatious regret. Released in June 2024, the song blends classic Caribbean beats with KAROL G’s signature style—turning heartbreak into a dance floor moment.

But there’s more than just infectious rhythm here: the lyrics tell the story of meeting someone amazing… a little too late. It’s playful, it’s catchy, and it’s got that twist of “what if” romantic fantasy that makes it instantly relatable.

If you’re learning Spanish, this is a fun and energetic way to pick up conversational structures, flirty phrases, and vocabulary for dating, dancing, and daydreaming. Plus, with its clear, repetitive chorus and storytelling structure, it’s a great pick for learners from A2 to B2 level.

So grab your imaginary piña colada and get ready to dive into the full Spanish-to-English lyric translation below—with bonus notes on vocabulary and grammar!

KAROL G – Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido [line-by-line translation from Spanish to English]

Letras
Lyrics

¿Qué hubiera sido?
What would’ve happened?
Si antes te hubiera conocido
If I had met you earlier
Seguramente,
Most likely,
Estarías bailando esta conmigo,
You’d be dancing to this one with me,
No como amigos
Not as friends
Sino como otra cosa,
But as something else,
Usted cerca me pone peligrosa,
You being near makes me dangerous,
Por un besito
For a little kiss
Hago cualquier cosa
I’d do anything
La novia suya me pone celosa
Your girlfriend makes me jealous
Y aunque es hermosa
And even though she’s beautiful
Ey!
Hey!
No te va a tratar como yo,
She’s not gonna treat you like I do,
No te va a besar como yo,
She’s not gonna kiss you like I do,
No está tan rica, así como yo
She’s not as tasty as me
Ella es tímida y yo no,
She’s shy and I’m not,
Con estas ganas que tengo yo,
With the desire I’ve got,
Me atrevo a comerme a los dos,
I’d dare to eat both of you up,
Hoy estás jangueando con ella,
Today you’re hanging out with her,
Pero (mmm)
But (mmm)
Después tal vez no
Maybe not after tonight

Y yo te veo y no sé
And I see you and I don’t know
Cómo actuar
How to act
Bebé, pa’ conquistarte
Baby, to win you over
Que me pasen el manual
Someone hand me the manual
Espero lo que sea,
I’ll wait as long as it takes,
Yo no me voy a quitar
I’m not giving up
Tengo fe que esos ojitos
I’ve got faith that those little eyes
Un día me van a mirar
Will look at me one day

Yo me caso contigo,
I’d marry you,
Mi nombre suena bien con tu apellido
My name sounds great with your last name
Estoy esperando el primer descuido,
I’m waiting for the first slip-up,
Pa’ presentarte como mi marido
To introduce you as my husband

No has entendido que
You haven’t understood that
No te va a tratar como yo,
She’s not gonna treat you like I do,
No te va a besar como yo,
She’s not gonna kiss you like I do,
No está tan rica, así como yo
She’s not as tasty as me
Ella es tímida y yo no,
She’s shy and I’m not,
Con estas ganas que tengo yo,
With the desire I’ve got,
Me atrevo a comerme a los dos,
I’d dare to eat both of you up,
Hoy estás jangueando con ella,
Today you’re hanging out with her,
Pero (mmm)
But (mmm)
Después tal vez no
Maybe not after tonight

¿Qué hubiera sido?
What would’ve happened?
Si antes te hubiera conocido
If I had met you earlier
(Ey, ¿Cómo?)
(Hey, what if?)
Seguramente,
Most likely,
Estarías bailando esta conmigo,
You’d be dancing to this one with me,
no como amigos
Not as friends
(No, no, no)
(No, no, no)
Ey, Ey, Ey
Hey, hey, hey

¿Qué hubiera sido?
What would’ve happened?
Si antes te hubiera conocido
If I had met you earlier
¿Qué hubiera sido?
What would’ve happened?
Si antes te hubiera conocido
If I had met you earlier

Vocabulary notes in Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido

Spanish Phrase	English Meaning	Notes / Level / Grammar
¿Qué hubiera sido?	What would’ve happened?	💡 Past subjunctive + conditional — B2
Si antes te hubiera conocido	If I had met you earlier	💡 Third conditional (B2–C1)
Estarías bailando esta conmigo	You’d be dancing to this one with me	B1–B2, Estar + gerund for past imagined action
No como amigos	Not as friends	A2
Pone peligrosa	(She) makes (me) dangerous	B2 – Reflexive implied, emotion vocabulary
Por un besito	For a little kiss	A2 – Diminutives: -ito/-ita
Hago cualquier cosa	I’d do anything	B1 – Cualquier + noun
La novia suya me pone celosa	His girlfriend makes me jealous	B2 – Possessive pronoun “suya”
Jangueando	Hanging out (slang)	🧂 Caribbean/Colombian slang (from hang out)
Me atrevo a comerme a los dos	I’d dare to devour both of you	B2+ – Atreverse a + infinitive, also playful double entendre
Pa’ presentarte como mi marido	To present you as my husband	Informal contraction of para = “pa’”

🧠 Grammar Concepts Highlighted

Past Subjunctive + Conditional
“Si antes te hubiera conocido, estarías bailando esta conmigo.”
Classic third conditional in Spanish: imagining a past that didn’t happen.
Use of “ella” vs “yo” to show contrast
“Ella es tímida y yo no” – Simple structure, strong emotional contrast. B1.
Future/Intent implied with present
“Estoy esperando el primer descuido” – Present continuous used for near-future intent.
Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns
“La novia suya” – “suya” refers back to “his,” requiring more careful processing at B2.

💃🏼 Cultural / Colloquial Notes

Janguear
This word is a Spanglish derivative of “hang out,” widely used in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and parts of Colombia. It’s very informal and doesn’t appear in most textbooks.
The “bichota” energy
The speaker in the song oozes boldness, typical of Karol G’s empowered lyrical persona. This bold flirtation and confidence contrasts the “tímida” girlfriend – a recurring pop theme.
Marriage fantasy tropes
Lines like “Mi nombre suena bien con tu apellido” play with the romantic-comedy trope of fast-forwarding to a future relationship, adding both humor and intensity to the song’s emotional landscape.

Whether you’re learning Spanish or just vibing to good music, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” reminds us that the right person at the wrong time still makes one hell of a story—and an even better song. 💃

With this track, KAROL G shows she can do more than reggaeton—she’s dancing between genres and stealing hearts while she’s at it. So go ahead: replay the song, bookmark the lyrics, and add it to your summer soundtrack.

And if you enjoyed this translation, check out more Latin hits (old and new) on the site—because language learning hits different when it’s set to music. 🎶

Hi! I’m a Spanish teacher with 2+ years of experience, trying to improve my and my students’ Spanish. If you’re struggling to learn the language, drop me a ‘Hi!’ on effietrumpet19@gmail.com and we’ll figure something out!

Spanish Songs, Translated