Levantine Arabic: Lesson 2

This second lesson is from a makeover show called Joelle جويل. That's the name of the host who runs a beauty salon in Dubai and does makeovers on women. It's on MBC and both Joelle and a lot of the women she does the makeovers on speak the Lebanese dialect. Joelle herself speaks very very fast so I didn't think a clip of her talking would be a good idea. The girl in the clip is speaking Lebanese giving a summary of all the things that happened in her makeover.





كان يوم صعب كتير و طويل بس حلو بذات الوقت (Kan youm saab ikteer wa taweel bes helu bee zat al wa'it)

It was a very difficult day and long but nice at the same time.

بصراحة تجربة كتير حلوة. كنت كتير مترددة بس بعدين ماشي الحال (Bee saraaha tujrubi kteer helwi kint ikteer mutredidi bes badeen mashi al haal)

Frankly it was a very nice experience. I was very hesitant (at the beginning) but after that everything went well.

إقتنعت انه لازم جرب لازم عمل نيو لوك (I'tinat inu lazim jarrib lazim amil "new look")

I was convinced that I had to try, had to do a new look.

جيت اليوم الصبح عند جويل و بلشتلي بالكونتوراج لجسمي. كانت كمان اكسبيريينس كتير حلوة (Jeet al youm asubuh and Joelle wa beleshitli bil contourage lijismi. Kanit kaman experience kteer helwi.)

I came this morning to Joelle's and she started me with the contourage (shaping) for my body.

خلصت منها و بلشت بحواجبي بالتاتو مثل ما شايفين أكيد (Khalast mina wa ballasht bee hawajbi bi tattoo mithl ma shayifeen akeed.)

I finished that and started on my eyebrows with the tattoo, as you all see of course.

عملت تاتو كتير غيرني و كتير حبيته و أكيد بيبيّن أحلا بعد اسبوعين (Amilt tattoo kteer gheyarni wa kteer hubeytu wa akeed bibayin ahla baad isbooain)

I got a tattoo that really changed me and I really liked it and it will definitely look better after two weeks.

رجعت و عملتلي تاتو على شفافي أكيد بينو أكبر بشوي كمان كتير حبيت (rijat wa amiltli tattoo ala shifaafi akeed bayyanu akbar bi shway kaman kteer hubeyt)

She went back and gave me a tattoo on my lips and they definitely look a bit bigger. I really liked that too.

بعدين بلشنا بشعري. صراحة كنت كتير مترددة انه شو أعمل بشعري باللون خصوصاً يعني ما كنت أعرف نقي لون و بعدين جويل نقتلي هيدا اللون (Badeen belleshna bishaari saraaha kint kteer mitradidi annu shu amul lishaari biloun khoosoosan yaani ma kint aarif na'iy loun badeen Joelle na'it li haydal loun)

After that we started on my hair. Frankly I was very reluctant, I mean, what can I do with my hair, especially the color. I didn't know what color to choose. After that Joelle chose this color for me.

Vocab List:

• بذات الوقت - "at the same time"; since it's Levantine they pronounce the ذ as ز and the ق as ء
  
• مترددة - "hesitant, reluctant"
• ماشي الحال - "everything is going good"; means the same as على ما يرام (ala ma yuraam)
• بلش - "to begin"
• بيّن - "to appear"; don't confuse with بين with no shadda which means between.
• نقّى - "to choose"; remember the ق is pronounced as ء