Ways to say it
| Egyptian Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| وسيم | wasim | |
| حلو | helw | casual, 'good looking' |
Casually, Egyptians often just say حلو (helw), 'nice-looking' or 'cute', which covers handsome men as easily as it covers pretty things in general.
What does it mean word for word?
وسيم is a classical Arabic word for good looks in a man, carried straight into Egyptian colloquial speech. حلو literally means 'sweet' and is used broadly for anything pleasant to look at.
Which one should you use?
وسيم is a direct, clear compliment about appearance. حلو is lighter and more casual, used the same way for a man, a dress or a view.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
وسيم can sound slightly more formal or deliberate as a compliment. حلو is relaxed and used constantly among friends.
How does it change in a sentence?
وسيم does not change for number in casual use, while حلو changes for a group to حلوين (helween).
How do you pronounce it?
وسيم is stressed on the second syllable, wa-SEEM, with a long vowel.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Calling a man حلوة, the feminine form of حلو, would be a clear grammar mistake, since the ending must match the man being described, not the speaker.
When do people say it?
Egyptian cinema and music have long celebrated leading men described as وسيم, and the word appears often in film reviews and celebrity gossip.
Did you know?
- وسيم is one of the few classical Arabic words for appearance that passed almost unchanged into everyday Egyptian speech.
- حلو, literally 'sweet', is used across Egyptian Arabic for almost anything pleasing, from a handsome man to a good joke or a nice song.
Examples in context
- هو راجل وسيم جدا.howwa ragel wasim gedan.He is a very handsome man.
- شايف ده؟ حلو مش كده؟shayef da? helw mesh keda?See that guy? He's good-looking, right?
- صورتك وسيم فيها جدا.sooretak wasim feeha gedan.You look very handsome in your photo.
Example conversation
Rana and her friend Mai talk about an actor they just saw in a film.
- Ranaالبطل ده وسيم بجد.el-batal da wasim begad.That lead actor is really handsome.
- Maiآه، وحلو كمان في الفيلم ده.aah, w helw kaman fel-film da.Yes, and good-looking in this film too.
- Ranaعايزة أشوف أفلامه التانية.ayza ashoof aflamo et-tanya.I want to watch his other films.
- Maiأنا كمان، هبحث عنهم.ana kaman, habhas annohom.Me too, I'll look them up.
