This lesson is suitable for intermediate-level learners. After listening, test your knowledge with our quiz.
Learning notes
Different phrases to use for men’s haircuts:
- I’d like a fade. Something textured and easy to maintain.
- Can you give me an undercut, please?
- Can you do a buzz cut for me?
- I’d like a trim, please.
Different phrases to use for women’s haircuts:
- I’d like a layered bob, just above the shoulders.
- Can I have a blunt bob, please?
- I’d like to get rid of the split ends.
- I’d like a trim, please.
- I’d like a fringe.
Learning focus:
When we are imagining something that we think will be true in the future we can use the modal verb would + the base form of the verb (the infinitive without ‘to). So, in the dialogue we hear Claire ask the hairdresser for an opinion about what he thinks:
- Claire: What do you think would suit my face better? (would + suit)
And Allan replied with his opinion:
- Allan: Well, I think layers would frame your face nicely. (would + frame)
And he also gives an opinion about what a fringe would look like:
- Allan: A soft fringe would look great on you! (would + look)
Note that this is also the verb we use in the polite request Claire asks at the beginning:
- Claire: I’d like a bob (would + like)
Colloquial expressions:
If your hair is easy to maintain, it doesn't need a lot of time or effort to keep it looking good.
When you have layers framing your face, your hair is cut in different lengths around your face. This makes the features of your face stand out.
To pull something off means to do something successfully. For example, if you pull off a new haircut, it means you look great with it.
Vocabulary:
Names of different hairstyles.
The fade cut is a haircut in which the hair on the sides and back is cut very short and gradually gets longer towards the top of the head.
The undercut style is a haircut in which the hair is long at the top and shave at the back and slides.
A bob is a haircut where the hair is cut to the same length about level with the chin or a bit longer.
A layered bob is a haircut in which the hair is cut into a bob shape but has different lengths, or layers rather than being all the same length.
A blunt bob is a haircut in which the hair is cut to the same length all around, with no layers.
A fringe or bangs are shorter sections of hair cut to so that they fall over the forehead.
In hairdressing, to buzz means to cut the hair very short using clippers so that it looks almost shaved.
To pamper someone or yourself is to do pleasant things for them or to them that make them feel good and relaxed.
To get carried away is to be so interested and involved in what you are doing that you forget to stop.
If your hair is textured, it has layers that are uneven which make it look a bit messy rather than smooth. Texture in a hairstyle means how the hair looks and feels.
The split ends are tips of the hair that have been damaged so that the hair starts to break, or split.
To trim hair, is to cut a small amount to remove split ends, without significantly changing the overall length or style.
Transcript:
(Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript)
SBS acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country and their connections and continuous care for the skies, lands, and waterways throughout Australia.
Hi, I’m Josipa. For me, going to the hairdresser isn’t just about getting a new look. It’s like a mini-vacation for my soul—a chance to kick back and enjoy some pampering.
To kick back means to relax, and to pamper someone or yourself is to do pleasant things for them or to make them feel good and relaxed. I love it when someone pampers me by fixing my hair and maybe bringing me a coffee while I relax in the chair. Do you?
I have a friend who doesn’t like being pampered, but honestly, if I could, I’d get my hair done every day. Just imagine: a perfect hairstyle, every single day, like a film star.
But it’s not cheap to go to the hairdressers, so most of us can only dream about doing it daily— and it’s not just the girls –a lot of guys I know care just as much about their hairstyles.
Now, here’s the real reason I’m doing this episode: my last trip to the hairdresser was a disaster because I couldn’t understand the names for the different hairstyles, I felt intimidated shy, silly and a little scared! So, as a result, I ended up with a hairstyle I didn’t like at all.
I don’t want that to happen again to me or anyone else. So today, we’re going to practise some phrases we can use when we’re getting a haircut.
Ready? Then, let’s see what’s going on with Claire and her son as they are both about to get haircuts.
Allan
So, what are we doing today?
Claire
Um... for him, just a fade. Something textured on top, so it’s easy to maintain.
Allan
No worries. And for you?
Claire
I’d like a bob, just above the shoulders.
Allan
Are you thinking a layered bob or a blunt bob?
Claire
Hmm... I’m not sure. What do you think would suit my face better?
Allan
Well, I think layers would frame your face nicely, and if we do that, we can get rid of the split ends.
Claire
That sounds good. What about a fringe? Do you think I could pull it off?
Allan
Absolutely. A soft fringe would look great on you!
Do you see what I mean? This kind of conversation can be tough when you don’t know the words in English.
But don’t worry, I’ll explain everything. By the way, when talking about a haircut, we can just say a cut. Just like Claire did when she said that her son wants,
Just a fade. Something textured on top, so it’s easy to maintain.
A fade cut is when the hair on the sides and back is cut very short but is left bit longer towards the top of the head.
Texture in a hairstyle means how the hair looks and feels. And if your hair is textured, it has layers that are uneven making it look a bit messy rather than smooth.
So, it’s easy to maintain, that is, it doesn't need a lot of time or effort to keep it looking good.
So, Claire’s son likes the textured fade because he doesn’t have to do anything to it when he gets up in the morning.
But let’s say you want your hair to be very, very short on the sides and much longer on the top so that the long hair falls over the sides and back, then you could say,
Can you give me an undercut?
There are different ways to do an undercut, but the key idea is: long hair on top and buzzed sides.
To buzz the sides is to cut the hair very short using clippers so that it almost looks shaved.
And in fact, if you want to look like a soldier from an action movie, you could say,
Can you do a buzz cut for me?
A buzz cut is when it is extremely short all over the head. When my brother started losing his hair, he switched to a buzz cut because he said it was easy to do himself with hair clippers.
Have you got hair clippers at home? They are a small machine with blades that you can adjust, a bit like a big shaver and you can cut hair very short with them very quickly and easily.
Now, do you remember what type of hairstyle Claire has in mind for her cut? She said,
I’d like a bob, just above the shoulders.
A bob is a haircut where the hair is cut to the same length, usually to about level with the chin or sometimes a bit longer to the shoulders. It’s a classic and easy-to-manage style that works well for a lot of people.
There are different ways to style a bob, for example,
Are you thinking a layered bob or a blunt bob?
In a layered bob the hair is cut into a bob shape but with different lengths, or layers. This adds texture and volume, making the hair look fuller and more dynamic.
On the other hand, in a blunt bob the hair is cut to the same length all around, with no layers.
For example, Margot Robbie, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, and many other celebrities have all had a blunt bob at one time or another.
But for Claire, our hairdresser Allan thinks,
Layers will frame your face nicely.
When you have layers framing your face, your hair is cut in different lengths around your face and this makes the features of your face stand out.
We can get rid of the split ends.
Split ends are my worst enemy. They are tips of the hair when they have been damaged and so start to split.
Let’s say you have beautiful long hair, and you don’t want the hairdresser to cut too much off; you just want them to tidy it up and get rid of the split ends. Then you can say,
I’d like a trim, please.
In a trim, the hairdresser only cuts off a small amount of hair in order to take off the split ends or make things level, without significantly changing the overall length or style. But be careful – hairdressers just love cutting and sometimes they can get carried away!!
To get carried away is to be so interested and involved in what you are doing that you forget to stop.
At the end of our dialogue Claire had a question, or two,
What about a fringe? Do you think I could pull it off?
‘To pull something off’ means to do something successfully, so if you pull off a new haircut, it means you look great with it. Let’s hear Allan’s answer,
Absolutely. A soft fringe would look great on you!
A fringe is a section of hair that is cut so that it falls over your forehead and can be long or short and styled in different ways, such as straight, on the side.
Sometimes, people refer to a fringe as bangs. I first heard the term in American movies, but it seems to be becoming more common in Australia as well.
A big thank you to our educational consultant, Professor Lynda Yates, and our guest Jasmeet Kaur.
Paul Nicholson and Lily O'Sullivan voiced the characters of Allan and Claire.
