KalamYalla Meaning
Yalla (يلا) is a spoken Arabic word meaning "come on," "let's go" or "hurry up." It comes from يا الله (yā allāh), "O God," but today it's an everyday word with no religious feel. It's used in nearly every Arab country, and phrases like yalla bye and yalla bina are hugely common.
Literally: “O God (from yā allāh)”
Yalla across the Arab world
Arabic changes from country to country. Here's what you'll actually hear.
The formal MSA equivalent, "come on / let's." يلا itself is colloquial.
yalla bīna means "let's go (together)." Very common.
LevantineيلاyallaEverywhere, from yalla nrūḥ ("let's go") to yalla bāy at the end of a call.
Gulfيلا / يلا عادyalla / yalla ʿādyalla ʿād adds impatience: "come on, already!"
DarijaيلاهyallāhMoroccan Darija, often with a longer final syllable: yallāh nmshīw, "let's go."
Other ways to say yalla
How to respond
Let's go (agreeing)
Coming! (Levantine and Gulf jāy, Egyptian gāy; a woman says jāye / gayya)
One minute (Egyptian and Levantine / Gulf)
How to say it right
The sounds English speakers find tricky, and how to get them right.
Practise with feedbackDouble the l: yal-la. Hold the l a beat before the final a, like in "Allah."
Stress the first syllable: YAL-la, not yal-LA.
In Morocco and parts of the Gulf you'll hear yallāh, with a longer final ā and a soft h at the end.
Example sentences
Come on, let's go, we'll be late!
EgyptianOkay bye, I'll talk to you tomorrow.
LevantineCome on already, everyone's waiting for you!
GulfLet's go.
DarijaLet's go to school.
Standard (MSA)Using it like a local
Yalla is one of the most useful words in spoken Arabic. It can start something ("yalla, let's eat"), speed someone up ("yalla yalla!"), wrap up a conversation ("yalla bye") or simply mean "okay, fine." Tone does most of the work.
It comes from يا الله (yā allāh), "O God," but most speakers don't think of it as religious at all. It has spread far beyond Arabic too: you'll hear it in Hebrew, Turkish, Greek and among diaspora communities worldwide. Arabic speakers abroad keep it even in English: "yalla, let's go."
Yalla can sound pushy if said sharply to an elder or someone you don't know. With a stranger, a softer تفضل (tfaḍḍal), "please, go ahead," is often more polite. With friends and family, though, you can say yalla as often as you like.
What does yalla mean?
يلا (yalla) means "come on," "let's go" or "hurry up" in spoken Arabic. Depending on tone, it can also mean "okay" or signal the end of a conversation, as in yalla bye.
Is yalla a religious word?
It comes from يا الله (yā allāh), "O God," but in daily use it has no religious meaning. Muslims, Christians and non-Arabic speakers all use it casually, like "come on" in English.
Is yalla rude?
No, but it's informal. Among friends and family it's completely normal. Said sharply to an elder or a stranger it can feel bossy, so soften it with a smile or use tfaḍḍal (please, go ahead) instead.
How do you spell yalla in Arabic?
It's usually written يلا, sometimes يالله or يلّا with a shadda on the l. In English you'll see yalla, yallah and yala. All refer to the same word.
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