Requesting a Specific Barber Service
A customer at a barbershop clearly explains their desired haircut, beard trim, or other specific services to the barber.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
haircut
A service where a barber or stylist cuts and styles your hair to make it look neat and fresh. It's a common request at barbershops.
beard trim
To shorten or shape facial hair, like a beard, to keep it tidy without changing the style much. Useful for maintaining a neat appearance.
taper
A haircut style where the hair gets gradually shorter from the top to the sides and back, creating a smooth fade. Popular for classic men's styles.
clean up
To trim or adjust hair or beard slightly to make it neater, without cutting a lot. It's a way to say you want minor changes for a fresh look.
edges
The outline or borders of the beard or hairline, like around the cheeks or neck. Trimming edges makes the shape sharp and defined.
tidy-up
A light trim to organize and neaten hair or beard, not a big change. It's informal and used for small maintenance services.
neat
Clean, orderly, and well-groomed in appearance. In grooming, it means looking sharp and put-together after a service.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
Hi there! I'm here for a haircut and a beard trim.
This is a polite greeting and clear statement of what service you want. Use it to start a conversation at a barbershop. The structure 'I'm here for [service]' is simple and direct for booking or requesting help.
What are you thinking for your haircut today?
A friendly question to ask about a customer's preferences. 'What are you thinking' is casual and invites details. Useful for service providers to understand needs; the word 'today' specifies the current visit.
I'd like a classic taper on the sides and back, not too short, maybe a number 3 or 4.
This describes a specific haircut request politely with 'I'd like.' It uses details like 'sides and back' for location and 'number 3 or 4' for clipper length. Great for intermediate learners to specify styles clearly; practice adding 'not too [adjective]' for preferences.
For the beard, I just want to clean up the edges and trim it down a bit to keep it neat.
This explains a minor beard adjustment using 'just want to' for modesty. 'Clean up' and 'trim down a bit' show small changes; 'to keep it neat' gives the purpose. Useful in services to avoid over-cutting; note the infinitive 'to keep' for reasons.
So, just a tidy-up on the beard, not a major trim.
This summarizes the request to confirm understanding. 'Just a [noun]' emphasizes minimal work, and 'not a major [noun]' contrasts with bigger changes. Helpful for barbers to repeat back; it's a pattern for clarification in conversations.
Nope, that's it! Thanks.
A casual way to end the discussion, meaning 'no more' or 'nothing else.' 'Nope' is informal for 'no,' and 'that's it' wraps up. Use this politely at the end of requests; it's simple and shows satisfaction.