The structure is often translated as "even though" or "although" (see the Bedawi dictionary entry under لو ). However, it should not be seen as an equivalent to مع إن which is also translated as 'even though'. Although both mean roughly the same thing, they are often used in different contexts.
Think of لو إن as a way to let the listener know your true feelings about something. Sometimes this structure gives off the meaning of "I am doing this but just so you know this is how I am really feeling about what I am doing." Other times it is "even though ______ but whatever." Whereas, مع إن is a more neutral and plain in its meaning. In short, be careful and don't use it every time you want to say 'even though'. But at the same time don't be afraid to use it. It is a great expression! Let these scenarios be a guide for the right time to pull it out of your language tool box.
The إن of ولو إنis a regular complementizer; therefore, if the subject is a pronoun, it is affixed onto the complementizer. So you will see
ولو إنهاولو إنهولو إنكوولو إنناولو إنكولو إنيولو إنهم
Examples
ولو إن + ضمير
Example 1
معتمد: أنا شفت حضرتك في التليفزيون وانت بتفضح الحكومة ويشرفني إن أنا أسلم عليك القاضي: مُتشكر مُتشكر قوي معتمد: ولو إني بكرهك
Matamid:I saw you on the tv when you were incriminating the government. It is an honor for me to shake your hand. the Judge: Thank you, Thank you a lot. Matamid: Even though I hate you. (فبراير الاسود)
نازلي: اسف على ايه علي: انا جيت المكان بتاعك نازلي: انا ماعنديش مشكلة ان انت تيجي بس هيبقى عندي مشكلة لو حد تاني عرفُه ولو إني انا ما كنتش عايزاك انت كمان تعرف يالا اهو اللي حصل
Nazli: What are you sorry about? Ali: I came to your spot. Nazli: I don't have a problem that you come but I will have a problem if someone else finds out about it. Although, I also didn't want you to find out. Whatever, it happened. (جراند اوتيل)
سمير: مساء النور يا حبيبتي ده ايه الزيارة الحلوة دي؟ ولو إنها بتتكرر كل يوم انجي: اخس عليك يا انكل انت زهقت مني ولا ايه
Samir: Good evening darling. How wonderful! A visit .... even though it is repeated every day (even though it happens every day.) Enji: Shame on you Uncle*! Are you sick of me or what?! (يوميات زوجة مفروسة)
*انكل (uncle) is a title usually given to older men with whom one has a close relationship but not to one's uncle. Here, Samir in Enji's neighbor.
بابا: مبروك يا ابراهيم ابراهيم: الله يخليك يا ابة. مع إني عارف إنك زعلان مني عشان المجموع مش قد كده يعني بابا: المهم إنك نجحت ولو إني كنت أحب إنك تكون احسن واحد في الدنيا لكن أهو كل شيء نصيب
father: Congratulations Ibrahim! Ibrahim: Thanks dad. Even though* I know that you're upset at me because my grade wasn't that good. father: Its just important that you passed...even though I would have loved for you to be best one in the world, but here it is, everything is fate. (اسماعيلية رايح جاي)
*Notice how both مع إن and ولوإن show up in this sentence.
اتفقنا احنا هنجيب اوضة ومطبخ. وهو ربنا يكرمه جاب الشقة ولو إني مش عارف يا صفية هنجيب المطبخ منين* ولا الاوضة منين
We agreed that we would get (the stuff to furnish) a room and the kitchen. And he, God continue to bless him, got an apartment, although, Safia, where are we going to get the money (for the appliances) for the kitchen or (the furniture) for the room. (ساعة ونص)
* In addition to its standard meaning, منين can also mean 'where are we going to get the money'. It is short for "هنجيب الفلوس دي منين". In this sentence the speaker is not wondering from which store he is going to get the stuff but rather where is he going to get the money to get those things.
ولو إن + اسم
Example 6
هند: أنا آسفة قوي يا سيادة المستشار أنا ماقدرش أقول لحضرتك ماهر: انتي هبلة يا هند وأنا لا يمكن أطلب منك حاجة زي كده ولو إن الفضول واكلني بصراحة عشان أعرف هو عاملها باسم مين
Hind:I am very sorry (Mr. lawyer), I am unable to tell you. Mahir:Don't be silly Hind, I could never ask you to do something like that although to be honest, the curiosity has eaten me to know with whose name he made it (the password). (الاكسلانس)
متخافش إن شاء الله هيبقى كويس. أكيد انت لما هتسلم نفسك وتحكي لهم عن الظروف اللي خلتك تسرق هيخففوا العقوبة ولو إن يعني مش اي حد يتحط في ظروف صعبة يعني يسرق ... معروفة دي
Don't be afraid. Hopefully it will be ok. Certainly, when you give yourself up and tell them about the circumstances that caused you to steal they will lighten the punishment; even though people who are put in difficult circumstances shouldn't steal...that's well known. (ابو علي)
ديدي: مش قلت لك اللي بيقع بنعرف نسنده هيما: عندِك حق ديدي: ولو ان الراجل كان خايف ماتعرفش تطلع بيها من مصر
Didi:Didn't I tell you we are able to support who trips up! Hiima:You were right. Didi: Although, the man was afraid that you wouldn't be able to leave from Egypt with it. (المولد)
هيا صحيح الاوضه هنا صغيرة وزي الحق جنب الجنة اللي قاعد فيها اللي بيسكنوا هنا في اللوكاندة بس نضيفة يا علي متنورة بالكهربا ومدهونة بالبوية فيها حنفية بتنزل ماية شرب كمان ولو ان يعني شباكها مبيبوصش عـ الغيطان زي دارنا
It's true the room here is small like a tiny box.. its next to the garden that those who live here at the hotel sit in...but the room is clean, Ali, and lit up with electricity and painted with oil based paint. It has a faucet that you can drink from. Although, its window doesn't look out over the farm land like at our house. (جراند اوتل)
ولو إن + where pronominal on the complementizer does not match the subject
Typically, the subject of the subordinate clause is affixed onto إن , if its a pronoun, or follows it directly, if it is a regular noun. We saw this in the above examples. However, there are times when speakers may choose to remain the focus of the subordinate clause by affixing the pronominal ending ـي onto إن even though they are not the subject of the subordinate clause. Formulating sentences with ولو إن in this way is the exception and it would be best to follow the patterns shown in sections 1 and 2 of this page, at least at first. However, you should know that this possibility does exist. Although the sample size is small, notice how the true subject of the subordinate clause never comes directly after إني .
Examples
Example 10
رانية: ايه الحلاوة دي انجي: ميرسي يا حبيبتي ربنا يخليكي رانية: ولو إني يعني سوزي صعبانة عليا قوي انجي: هي سوزي صاحبتك اكتر مني ولا ايه رانية: لا يا حبيبتي بس يعني انجي: قولي لي هي عرفت إن فرحنا النهارده رانية: ايوه طبعا عرفت انجي: اصلي يعني الجواز قسمة ونصيب وعموما رامي ماكانش بيحبها قوي
Ranya:You look beautiful! Enji: Thank you, habibti. thank you. Ranya: Although, I feel really bad for Suzy* Enji: Is Suzy your friend more than me or what? Ranya:No habibti, it just.. Enji:Hey, did she find out that our wedding is today? Ranya:Yeah of course she found out. Enji: Because, I mean, marriage is fate and, anyways, Rami didn't love her that much. (ابن موت)
*In the Arabic, notice that 'I' is not the subject of the embedded clause. It is 'Suzy'. However, the pronoun on the complementizer إن corresponds with object of the preposition and not the subject. This happens because the focus of the sentence is "I" and not "Suzy".
ايمن: كل سنة وسيادتك طيب عادل: متشكر قوي يا ايمن ولو إني يا اخي حكاية اعياد الميلاد دي مابتنزليش من زور إنما نعمل ايه بقى حكم القوي
Ayman: Happy birthday sir. Adel: Thank you very much....even though this business of birthdays is not very palatable to me (I don't like birthdays), but what can we do, its the decision of the powerful one (i.e. his daughter) (حق ميت)