حلوة
helweeveryday, for a woman
To call a woman pretty in Lebanese Arabic you say حلوة (helwe), and for a man you say حلو (helo). It is also called جميلة (jamile).
Meaning: pleasing to look at (adjective)
Ways to say it
| Lebanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| حلوة | helwe | everyday, for a woman |
| حلو | helo | everyday, for a man |
| جميلة | jamile | standard, for a woman |
حلو (helo) literally means "sweet" and is the most common word for nice-looking or nice in general. A friendly compliment is شو حلوة! (shu helwe!), "how pretty!"
Which one should you use?
جميلة (jamile) is the standard Arabic word. It is understood, heard in songs and sounds more formal or poetic.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective agrees with the person: حلو (helo) for a man, حلوة (helwe) for a woman and حلوين (helwin) for several people.
Did you know?
- The same word حلو (helo) is used for sweet things such as desserts, so context tells you if someone means pretty or sweet.
Examples in context
- هيدي البنت كتير حلوة.haydi el-bint ktir helwe.This girl is very pretty.
Example conversation
Dalia compliments her friend Noura on her new dress.
- Daliaشو حلو فستانك!shu helo fustanek!How pretty your dress is!
- Nouraيسلمو، شكرا.yeslamo, shukran.Thanks, you are kind.
- Daliaألف مبروك عليكي.alf mabrouk 3aleki.Congratulations on it.
